The president of the University of Texas at Dallas announced on Monday that he will be stepping down.
Dr. Richard Benson has served as UT Dallas’ president for eight years.
In a letter to the school community, Benson stated, “Reflecting on all that has been accomplished over the last eight years, and all that has been set in motion, I feel that this is a good time to pass the leadership of UT Dallas to a new president.”
The UT System Board of Regents will soon begin searching for the school’s next president, a process Benson said “could take the better part of the 2025 academic year.”
“I am deeply grateful for the privilege of serving as UT Dallas’ fifth president, and I thank you all for making this a labor of love. It will be fun to see what comes next for UT Dallas!” Benson concluded in the letter.
Benson has found himself in the news multiple times this year. In April, he announced the elimination of about 20 positions in order to comply with Texas’ ban on “diversity, equity, and inclusion” initiatives, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Ten days later, Benson was blocked in his office by students calling for UT Dallas to divest from any companies that produce weaponry that is being used against the people of Gaza, per DX.
Student protesters entered the administrative building, sitting along both sides of the hallway leading to Benson’s office. As they sat, students flooded administrators’ emails and phones with messages listing their demands.
After nearly seven hours, Benson agreed to meet with protest organizers to hear their demands in person. Additionally, Benson agreed to meet with a group of Jewish students for the same reason.
In response to his resignation, UT Dallas’ Students for Justice in Palestine coalition posted a statement, saying, “Benson’s legacy is clear: he will be reviled as an opportunist who shamelessly failed to take action against the genocide led by the zionist regime, showing utter disregard for humanity and ignoring his students’ urgent calls for divestment.”
Colleges have seen an uptick in president resignations following the nationwide anti-Israel protests that ravaged college campuses this spring. Columbia University President Minouche Shafik resigned after Columbia became the site of mass chaos, destruction, and arrests.
Southern Methodist University President R. Gerald Turner also announced plans earlier this week to step down from his role. SMU students held a “walkout” in February in solidarity with the people of Gaza; however, no arrests were made during that protest.
Turner, the longest-serving president in SMU history, announced that he will be stepping down at the end of the 2024-2025 academic year. Officials plan to appoint a new president by the end of the spring semester.