Updated 1:10 p.m.
Colorado State University president Joyce McConnell will step down from the Fort Collins university at the end of the month.
In a statement sent to CSU community members, system chancellor Tony Frank and McConnell said the the Board of Governors and McConnell came to a mutual agreement to “part ways.” Her last day in office will be June 30.
“The Board thanks President McConnell for her efforts leading the university, particularly during challenging and unprecedented times,” the statement said. “[We wish] President McConnell all the best in her future endeavors.”
McConnell will receive a $1.5 million buyout for the remainder of her contract under the separation agreement. Her tenured position at CSU’s Warner College of Natural Resources is also being vacated.
A search for her replacement will soon be underway. The Board of Governors plans to name an interim by July 1.
McConnell became CSU’s 15th president and the first woman to hold the office in 2019 after spending over two decades at West Virginia University. She initially joined on a five-year contract and earned a base salary of $550,000 a year.
More than 27,000 students attended Colorado State University in 2020, according to state data. The university reported its endowment grew to $558 million in 2021.
This is a developing story.
