University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Chancellor Andrew Leavitt announced Wednesday that he will step down next summer as the school continues to struggle financially. Leavitt has served as chancellor since 2014. He said on his blog Wednesday that he always believed spending 10 years as chancellor would be enough and staying longer “deprives the university of fresh vision and inventiveness it deserves.” He said that he plans to remain at UW-Oshkosh as a chemistry professor following his resignation as chancellor. UW-Oshkosh officials announced plans in 2023 to lay off scores of employees in the face of a projected $18 million deficit. Ten of the UW’s 13 four-year campuses faced deficits heading into the fall 2023 semester, but nearly three-quarters of the UW-Oshkosh faculty that voted in a referendum said they had no confidence in Leavitt after the layoffs.
Heading into the fall 2024 semester, UW-Oshkosh was one of six UW four-year schools projected to face a deficit. UW-Oshkosh’s shortfall was the largest at $8.6 million.