University of Connecticut President Radenka Maric dismissed rumors about being replaced at a University Senate meeting on Monday, Nov. 2.
Maric was first appointed to a five-year term leading the university on Sept. 28, 2022, according to board meeting minutes. Her term ends in June 2027, and the contract said Maric needed to decide whether to run for a second term by June 2026. Maric said she told the chair of the board of trustees, Daniel Toscano, of her intent to run for a second term in February.
“I talked about our accomplishments, I talked about the areas of improvement, I talked about my own improvement and what has to happen and what it takes to be a successful university,” Maric said, recounting when she told Toscano and other trustees of her intent to run.
The board’s decision for Maric’s second term would end up being pushed by six months and go from June to the end of the year.
“I sat with chair Toscano in March, and we agreed that there are so many things going on and that we should postpone that review after the election. So those are the facts, and this is the truth, and I think as a leader one has to be resilient,” Maric said.
Maric addressed the senators after CT Mirror reported on Thursday that a board representative approached House Speaker Matt Ritter about becoming an interim president of the university if Maric leaves before her contract expired. Multiple members of the board were also reported by WTNH to have opposed renewing Maric’s contracts in an executive session of a board meeting on Oct. 28.
Maric’s report to the senators came before the University of Wisconsin-Madison listed her as one of three finalists in the search for a new chancellor on Thursday. She is scheduled to appear at a public forum in Wisconsin for the job this Friday.
UConn did not comment to CT Insider when asked about Maric being a candidate for chancellor at another university. When asked whether some board members opposed a new contract for Maric, University Spokesperson Stephanie Reitz sent a statement from Toscano, which said both outlets had been misinformed.
“We as a board and as individual trustees should not disclose the contents of a discussion that took place in an executive session. I will state unequivocally, however, that at no time during the executive session was there anything resembling a vote related to the president’s contract, including a ‘non-binding tally’ of trustees,” Toscano’s statement said.
Toscano’s statement continued by denying that there was any discussion of an interim president like Ritter.
“Further, the board did not send an ‘emissary’ to speak with anyone about serving as an interim president. Whoever provided that account as an anonymous source was knowingly or unknowingly sharing inaccurate information with the reporter. The story is wrong,” Toscano said.
Ritter does not have any experience in academic leadership, unlike Maric, who joined UConn as a faculty member with the School of Engineering in 2010 and served five years as vice president for research before becoming president, according to UConn Today. Ritter’s father, Thomas Ritter, has been a trustee since 2003, according to the Hartford Business Journal.
“This university has been always run by academics, and I believe it is going to remain that way,” Maric said.
During the meeting Maric thanked the senators for supporting her during the scrutiny over her contract. Some senators responded by doubting the outlets, with one calling the reports “fake news.”
Not all senators were convinced about Maric’s dismissal. Sandy Grande, a senator representing the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, asked for more clarification.
“While I guess this is being marked as fake news, such events as you know are unsettling and dispiriting,” Grande said. “So, I’m wondering if it was indeed misinformation, is there a plan for a press release to correct the information?”
Maric said some of the information must remain confidential because the decision is an internal employment matter but said Toscano was consulting with the board for additional statements to be released.