University of Washington (UW) president Michael Young is leaving. That was confirmed last week when Young announced that he’s taking on the same role at Texas A&M.
Young, who has only been at UW since spring 2011, will leave sometime this spring, which means he won’t receive his million-dollar bonus, according to a KING-5 article. His regular salary was $853,508; Young will make $1.6 million in Texas.
But his short time shouldn’t come as a surprise. According to a Puget Sound Business Journal article, university presidents typically have a short tenure, and high turnover has been common in recent years. This is due, in part, to elderly university presidents retiring, but also the difficulty of the job, the article stated. UW spokesperson Norm Arkans told the journal that a president candidate must have a rare set of skills, making the pool of candidates small and more “movement across institutions.”
Young was known for promoting entrepreneurship, with 18 startups launching from the university in 2013. The Seattle Times editorial board said the new candidate should continue that push, while also advocating for higher education, science and technology and UW’s place as a top research institution.
In a more flippant response, someone on the UW campus told the Times the next candidate “should walk on water” — with all of the roles and duties the next president must have, that’s not that far off.