University of Arizona President Robert Robbins will resign from his position at the end of his employment contract or when the Arizona Board of Regents selects a new UA president, according to an email to UA stakeholders Tuesday. Robbins’ current contract ends on June 30, 2026.
His announcement follows months of scrutiny over his role in the UA’s financial crisis with many faculty, staff and students calling for his resignation.
“I am glad that President Robbins took responsibility for the many management failures that occurred on his watch,” Matthew Abraham, professor of English and member of the faculty governance group, the Committee of 11, said.
Robbins acknowledged that “the past 18 months certainly have been difficult for our University” but didn’t give a concrete reason for his decision, stating “after significant consideration and personal contemplation, I informed the regents this morning that I will step down as president of the University of Arizona after fulfilling the terms of my current contract.”
“It is time to begin to think about what is next for the University, and I will continue to serve the institution and work with ABOR to ensure a smooth transition at the appropriate time,” Robbins wrote.
The regents said in a statement Tuesday they plan to begin a nationwide search for the 23rd president of the university and that “the search will move forward with expediency.” The regents’ statement made no reference to the university’s financial situation or the criticism leading up to Robbins’ resignation.
Gov. Katie Hobbs told reporters Monday she was continuing to “lose patience” and found the UA’s financial crisis “exceedingly frustrating” after continuing to receive conflicting information from Robbins and the media.
Robbins’ time as president has lasted almost seven years. He was originally hired in 2017 on a three-year contract which the board extended six times throughout his employment, most recently on Sept 28, 2023.
Robbins is currently earning $734,407 annually, a 10% cut to his previous $816,008 salary he requested as a response to the financial crisis. His new base pay is slightly less than the $754,515 he made prior to 2023.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print.
