Donald Bobbitt will retire as president of the University of Arkansas System by Jan. 15, the university announced Tuesday — or earlier, if the board of trustees hires a successor before then.
Bobbitt has headed the state’s largest university system for over 12 years, but the past year and a half of his tenure has been tempestuous. The board renewed his contract last summer despite the efforts of at least one trustee, Sheffield Nelson, to ditch Bobbitt and find a new president.
Bobbitt, 67, notified the board’s chair, Kelly Eichler, of his plans this week, according to a UA System news release. Eichler said she will call a special board meeting in the coming days to discuss Bobbitt’s retirement and to plan for a national search, the release said.
Bobbitt has been president since Nov. 1, 2011, when he succeeded Alan Sugg.
In a statement, Bobbitt said, “One of the great privileges I have been afforded through my time as president was the chance to work with an exceptional group of colleagues who served as the Chancellors and CEOs of our campuses, divisions and units, and with the very talented staff in the UA System administration.”
Eichler called Bobbitt “a truly outstanding leader for the UA System and higher education in our state for more than a decade.”
“His steadfast, calm approach to the role of president has not only provided a steady hand at the helm of the system, but it has also allowed other excellent leaders to emerge across our campuses,” Eichler said in the news release.
The board last approved a new contract for Bobbitt in August. Under that agreement, he continues to make $510,000 annually. Additionally, the board, using private funds, contributes $150,000 annually to a deferred compensation plan for Bobbitt. The contract, which runs through Jan. 1, 2026, allows Bobbitt to terminate the pact for convenience with 180 days notice.
Asked if Bobbitt plans to stay on as a professor, as he can under tenure, UA System spokesman Nate Hinkel said in an email, “I have to defer any questions about the details of Dr. Bobbitt’s retirement plans until after the Board meeting.”
A big question now is whether former Gov. Asa Hutchinson will apply for the position. Hutchinson, 73, has reportedly said he would be interested in the job. I’ve messaged Hutchinson to request comment and will update this post if I hear back.
Bobbitt’s retirement follows repeated controversy during the past two years.
In April 2023, a divided board rejected Bobbitt’s 2-year-long, largely secretive effort to affiliate the university system with a nonprofit entity that would then buy the troubled online University of Phoenix with private dollars. Earlier, in November 2022, the board unanimously voted to name Charles Robinson as the new chancellor of the system’s flagship campus, the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, despite Bobbitt’s efforts to get Robinson to withdraw his application. Bobbitt had even offered Robinson a half-million dollars to drop out of the selection process and remain provost.