Rutgers University President Jonathan Holloway is stepping down at the end of the academic year, citing concerns for his family's safety after protests occurred at his home.
"This decision is my own and reflects my ruminations about how best to be of service," he wrote in a Tuesday message to the school community.
The first Black president in New Jersey school's more than 250-year history, Holloway said he would be taking a research sabbatical the following year before rejoining the faculty.
Holloway took the helm at Rutgers at the height of the pandemic in 2020. Several controversies arose during his five-year tenure, including a violent five-day walkout by thousands of unionized university employees in 2023. Holloway's residence was the scene of protests in support of the unions, forcing campus police to pull a squad car out front. When making public appearances, he is now escorted by police.
In an interview with NJ.com, Holloway expressed concern for his family's safety following the incident.
"I don't want to be in an environment where I need, where my family needs, protection. That's the part I didn't bargain for," he told the outlet.
Last month, the school's athletic director, Pat Hobbs, also resigned suddenly, following reports of an investigation into his conduct. Athletes on the gymnastics and softball teams at Rutgers University have allegedly been the victims of verbal and emotional abuse as well.
Then, last semester, Holloway came under national scrutiny for how he handled pro-Palestinian protests on campus. In May, he peacefully ended a student encampment by granting some of the demonstrators' demands, such as scholarships for certain Palestinian students who had been uprooted by the conflict. The demonstrators' main demands, to divest from Israel and sever connections with Israeli colleges, were not met.
Despite these challenges, Holloway expressed pride in serving as Rutgers' president and highlighted several of his accomplishments over the years, including a record $970 million in research grants this year, and spearheading a program that gave hundreds of students paid internships in public service.
Holloway, 57, was also frontrunner earlier this year to become Yale University's president. He had previously served as the undergraduate college dean and a professor there. Maurie McInnis, the president of Stony Brook University in New York, was named to the position instead.
"There is plenty to do before I complete my term, and I remain focused on that work, especially that which is committed to the connections between Rutgers and civic preparedness and civil discourse," Holloway concluded.
He added that he was looking forward to working on a book about race and history that was nearly complete and that he had no immediate plans to seek any other leadership positions.
Holloway's departure continues a trend of university presidents resigning this year amid campus protests and other controversies. Former Harvard University President Claudine Gay stepped down in January following accusations of plagiarism and criticism of her response to antisemitism on campus. Former Columbia University President Minouche Shafik also resigned this past summer after a tenure marked by intense criticism, particularly over her response to the pro-Palestinian protests that began in April. Two Florida college leaders — University of Florida's Ben Sasse and Florida A&M University President Larry Robinson — also stepped down in recent months.
"We're sort of at wit's end," he told NJ.com about himself and other college presidents. "We're all seeing people we looked up to who are saying, 'I'm out.' And I think we're going to see a lot of that. These jobs are difficult in good times but when you're facing absolutely no-win situations constantly, in this era of hyperbole about failing to do X, Y, and Z ... none of us signed up for that. Just like I didn't sign up to have a police detail with me everywhere I go."
