CCNY President DR. Gregory H. Williams Resigns To Become President Of University Of Cincinnati

NEW YORK, September 9, 2009 – Dr. Gregory H. Williams, President of The City College of New York (CCNY), announced today that he is resigning to become President of the University of Cincinnati.  Buck Niehoff, Chairman of The University of Cincinnati’s Board of Trustees, announced the appointment, which is effective November 1, 2009.

“The University of Cincinnati Board of Trustees has offered me an exceptional opportunity to serve as leader of a proud institution and I have chosen to accept their offer,” President Williams said in announcing what he called a “difficult” decision.  “Just as City College has transformed the lives of tens of thousands of young people over its history, it has transformed my life by allowing me to become part of one of the most remarkable institutions in American higher education, and I will cherish my experience here forever.

“I am truly grateful to Chancellor Goldstein, the CUNY Board of Trustees and, most of all, the students, faculty, staff and alumni of The City College of New York for the opportunity to serve as President of CCNY and for the tremendous support they have given me throughout my tenure.”

“The outstanding gains and achievements of The City College of New York during President Gregory Williams' eight years of exemplary service are a matter of public record,” Chancellor Goldstein said.  “We wish him all the best in his new leadership post at The University of Cincinnati."

The University of Cincinnati is a coeducational public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, part of the University System of Ohio.  Founded in 1819, it has an enrollment of nearly 40,000 and offers 600 academic programs ranging from two-year Associate’s degrees to Doctoral and post-doctorate education.

Dr. Williams has served as the 11th president of The City College of New York since August 2001.  Under his leadership the College gained in national recognition as its student enrollment grew by nearly 60 percent to just over 16,000 and it adopted new, more rigorous admissions standards.

Throughout President Williams’ tenure, CCNY has retained the rich diversity of its student body that is one of its hallmarks.  Over 87 percent of undergraduate and graduate students are members of a minority group.

Among his many accomplishments at CCNY have been the opening of The Towers at City College, the first residence hall built for a CUNY campus, and the completion of a new home for the Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture that opened for the Fall 2009 Semester.  In addition, construction has begun on a two-building science research center on the College’s South Campus.  Together, these constitute a capital investment of nearly $1 billion by New York State.

President Williams has also led the first capital campaign in the College’s 161-year history, which has raised more than $310 million to date.  Major gifts raised include:

• $26 million from alumnus and Intel Corp. co-Founder Andrew Grove for The Grove School of Engineering;
• $25 million from the Bernard and Anne Spitzer Charitable Trust for the Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture;
• $10 million from the New York Life Foundation for the Colin Powell Center for Policy Studies;
• $10 million from alumnus Michael “Mickey” Ross for Jewish Studies, and
• $9.6 million from the law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom to establish the Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom Honors Program in Legal Studies.

During his presidency, the College hired more than 300 new full-time faculty members and increased funded research to over $55.6 million.  In addition, the College received authorization to grant Ph.D. degrees in engineering and in science, jointly with the CUNY Graduate Center.  This will lay the foundation for CCNY to become a research university.

Prior to becoming President of CCNY, Dr. Williams was Dean of the Law School and Carter C. Kissell Professor of Law at The Ohio State University.  His career in higher education administration, which spans more than 30 years, includes previous positions with The George Washington University and The University of Iowa.

Dr. Williams holds five academic degrees, including a J.D. and Ph.D. from George Washington University, and four honorary degrees.  He is the author of three books, including his best-selling memoir “Life on the Color Line: The True Story of a White Boy Who Discovered He Was Black,” which was named 1995 Book of the Year by the “Los Angeles Times.”

About The City College of New York
Since 1847 The City College of New York has provided low-cost, high-quality education for New Yorkers in a wide variety of disciplines.  Over 16,000 students pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; The Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture; The School of Education; The Grove School of Engineering, and The Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education.  For additional information, visit www.ccny.cuny.edu.