Within just the past two years, two-thirds of the universities in the Big Ten Conference have had a change in presidential leadership. Counting system heads and the leaders of flagship campuses, 12 of the 18 member institutions have seen turnover at the top since the start of 2025.
The circumstances surrounding the exits vary, ranging from routine retirements, campus controversies, personal peccadillos, serious health issues, fractious relationships between campus leaders and governing boards, and visions of greener pastures. Regardless of the reasons, the past two years are remarkable for the instability in leadership this group of institutions has had to weather.
Board Turmoil and Campus Drama…