Sep 26, 2020

Update: WSU president who canceled Ivanka speech resigns

Posted Sep 26, 2020 12:00 AM
 WSU President Jay Golden photo by Stephan Bisaha 
WSU President Jay Golden photo by Stephan Bisaha 

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A state university president in Kansas whose decision this year to cancel a virtual speech by Ivanka Trump angered donors has resigned after less than a year in the job. The board overseeing the Kansas higher education system did not say why Wichita State University President Jay Golden stepped down in announcing the move Friday.

The university in June received national attention and plenty of criticism for dropping a virtual speech by President Donald Trump's elder daughter for its technical school graduation. Regent and Wichita restauranteur Jon Rolph said that Golden’s resignation was not related to the Ivanka Trump controversy.

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WICHITA — Wichita State University President Jay Golden has  submitted his resignation to the Kansas Board of Regents, according to a statement Friday afternoon from Regents Chair Bill Feuerborn.

"The Board is thankful for his service. We are appreciative of his hard work and dedication to the university and are grateful for his commitment to serving students. We wish him well in all his future endeavors.

Wichita State Provost Rick Muma will serve as acting president while the Board considers options for an interim president. We are thankful that Rick is willing to step into this role."

The Board of Regents released no additional details Friday afternoon. 

In June donors pushed the Kansas’ higher education board to fire Golden after he canceled a virtual speech by Ivanka Trump for its technical school’s graduation.

The Regents held a special Zoom meeting two days after a former board member from Wichita said the regents should ask for Golden’s resignation. Golden was present for at least part of the four-hour closed meeting.

Afterward, the board issued a short statement that didn’t mention Golden or Wichita State, expressing its commitment to “support and promote freedom of speech and diversity and inclusion.”

Golden became the University's 14th President in October of 2019. He previously served as vice chancellor and professor of engineering at East Carolina University and as a faculty member and associate vice provost of research and executive director of corporate relations at Duke University.