President Hitchcock Granted Leave of Absence

President Hitchcock Granted Leave of Absence
Chancellor King Names Provost Carlos Santiago Officer-in-Charge of UAlbany Campus

Contact: Karl Luntta (518) 437-4980

ALBANY, N.Y. (January 30, 2004) - University at Albany President Karen R. Hitchcock today met with SUNY Chancellor Robert King and requested a leave due to an ongoing illness in her immediate family. The Chancellor has agreed to her request. Her leave will begin today.

�President Hitchcock�s decision to care for her family is understandable,� said King. �With regret, I have granted her request so that she can attend to her most important priorities. I wish her and her family my very best as they deal with this important matter.�

�My decision was a difficult one to make because of my devotion to the University at Albany,� said Hitchcock. �I will concentrate my efforts on taking care of my family, but will miss the students, faculty and staff greatly.�

King today named Dr. Carlos E. Santiago, an economist and current University at Albany provost, as officer-in-charge of the State University of New York at Albany.

Santiago will begin his new assignment immediately.

King commented that Carlos Santiago has been serving as provost and was selected by President Hitchcock after a nationwide search. �He has distinguished himself as provost and I am confident he can manage the campus superbly," said King.

�I willingly accept this important assignment and appreciate the chancellor�s trust,� said Santiago. �I will work diligently with the University at Albany faculty and staff to provide leadership and to ensure effective operations of our campus.�

The University at Albany presidential search has begun. A search committee is being formed according to the Guidelines for Presidential Searches and it is expected that they will begin their work in the coming weeks. It is anticipated that the University Council and the search committee will work this spring and through the summer months with the intent of having a new president in place early in the 2004-2005 academic year.

The University at Albany's broad mission of excellence in undergraduate and graduate education, research and public service engages 17,000 diverse students in nine degree-granting schools and colleges. The University has launched a $500 million fundraising campaign, the most ambitious in its history, with the goal of placing it among the nation's top 30 public research universities by the end of the decade. For more information about this internationally ranked institution, visit www.albany.edu. For UAlbany's extensive roster of faculty experts, visit www.albany.edu/news/experts.htm.

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