Last August, Vice-Chancellor John McCardell announced his plans to step down from that role at the end of July 2020. Because of the disruption to the academic and summer calendars caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, McCardell has recommended a change in the scheduled leadership transition; Vice-Chancellor-Elect Reuben Brigety will assume office in mid-June.
Last August, Vice-Chancellor John McCardell announced his plans to step down from that role at the end of July 2020. Under the normal University schedule, summer programs would have concluded at that time and the 2020-21 academic calendar would begin in August.
Because of the disruption to the academic and summer calendars caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, McCardell has recommended a change in the scheduled leadership transition and the University’s chancellor and chair of the Board of Regents both have concurred. McCardell’s vice-chancellorship will come to a close at the conclusion of the Board of Regents’ meeting on June 16, 2020. Vice-Chancellor-Elect Reuben Brigety will assume office at that time.
“This decision will allow Ambassador Brigety, who has already participated in early stages of scenario-planning and will continue to participate over the next two months, to take up his duties with considerably more time to plan for the coming year, as well as to get to know members of the campus community,” said McCardell. “I am quite certain that this is and will be in the best interest of the University.”
McCardell has asked Provost Nancy Berner to oversee a systematic and organized planning effort that will bridge the outgoing and incoming administrations and allow this critical transition to be seamless and transparent.
“We certainly hope that by the time the new academic year begins, campus life will have started to return to something near normal,” said Board Chair Reid Funston, C’86. “But we must also plan for the possibility that it may not. John McCardell’s recommendation for an earlier transition should provide Ambassador Brigety more time and latitude to focus on long-term planning for the University. I am grateful for John’s leadership in guiding us thus far through this turbulent and unprecedented time, and I look forward to continuing that work with the ambassador and the provost.”
“John McCardell has served with great distinction as Sewanee’s 16th vice-chancellor, perhaps never more so than during the last few months. His vision and steady direction have helped Sewanee maintain its commitment to providing an excellent education, even during the current challenge,” said the Rt. Rev. Rob Skirving, chancellor of the University.
