Dartmouth College president to step down next year

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Dartmouth College President Philip Hanlon said Tuesday he will step down in June 2023 after 10 years leading the Ivy League school, saying “the time is right to pass the torch.”

“When I arrived at Dartmouth in 2013, I laid out a 10-year vision for my presidency: Dartmouth would be a magnet for talent, dare to take on some of the world’s most urgent challenges, and elevate the tight connection between students and faculty that makes the Dartmouth experience so distinctive,” he said in a message to the community.

College officials said that under Hanlon’s leadership, research spending has increased by more than 50%. They also praised him for championing investments in new academic centers and for his commitment to increasing inclusion and diversity on campus.

In 2014, students staged at sit-in at Hanlon’s office in Hanover and demanded he implement a “Freedom Budget” they drafted that sought greater inclusiveness and a more welcoming environment on campus. In early 2015, he announced a series of reforms aimed at addressing problems he said were “hijacking” the school’s promise: high-risk drinking, sexual assault and a lack of inclusion. The changes, dubbed the “Moving Dartmouth Forward” plan, included a ban on hard liquor, the development of a mandatory four-year sexual violence prevention curriculum and the creation of new residential communities.

In 2018, nine women filed a federal lawsuit accusing Dartmouth of ignoring years of sexual harassment and assault by former professors. The lawsuit, which was later settled for $14 million, sparked heated debate on campus and prompted some alumni to demand Hanlon’s resignation.

The school responded with a range of reforms to meant to prevent sexual misconduct and other abuses of power. An external advisory committee evaluating that effort a year later said it felt “less like an effort to transform culture across a whole campus, and more like a response to a lawsuit.” In its most recent report, issued in September, the committee said progress has been made but a more cohesive, effectively-communicated framework is needed.

Hanlon, a mathematician and 1977 Dartmouth graduate, previously served as provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at the University of Michigan.