A look at University of Illinois administrator resignations

An outbreak of mumps at the University of Illinois continues to grow with what officials now say are nearly 100 cases.

Provost Ilesanmi Adesida (il-eh-SAHN’-muh uh-DISH’-eh-duh) said in an emailed statement Monday he’ll step down August. 31.

Chancellor Phyllis Wise resigned last week over the use of private emails to discuss university business.

Wise’s temporary replacement, Barb Wilson, said earlier this month that the provost is key to faculty recruitment and retention.

Provost Adesida is among the most frequent correspondents with Wise in those emails.

I want to thank Provost Adesida for his tremendous dedication to this campus and for his visionary leadership over many years. She added that she will be consulting with campus leaders, the Council of Deans, and members of the Senate Executive Committee over the next few days during the search for an interim Provost.

“My association with the University, and particularly its outstanding faculty and students, has been a source of deep pride and fulfillment for me”, Adesida wrote in a letter to Wilson, according to a news release. Replacing him will be no easy task. This is a critical position for the campus that we must fill quickly, but a decision that I know must be made collaboratively.