Robert Morris University provost steps down, returns to teaching

Robert Morris University provost David Jamison has stepped down from the post he held for 11 years and has returned to teaching, effective this week.

University president Chris Howard announced the move to the campus in an email Friday. Mr. Jamison, 75, also was senior vice president for academic affairs.

The decision comes less than a week after Robert Morris confirmed that it is reorganizing degree programs, shuttering one of its five schools and offering buyouts to most administrative staff after a string of enrollment declines.

Reached Monday, Mr. Jamison said he had been considering the move for a while, and he initially planned to do so at the end of the spring semester. He said the timeline changed after he and Mr. Howard met last week.

Serving as interim provost will be Mary Ann Rafoth, the vice provost, he said.

“I didn’t want to be here as a lame duck while she is doing what she needs to do, so it was a joint decision with the president,” he said. “We talked about what might be best for the university.”

Mr. Jamison came to Robert Morris in 2002 as dean of the School

of Communications and Information Systems and a professor of communication. An attorney and former U.S. Foreign Service Officer, he previously taught at the University of Akron in a career spanning nearly five decades.

Mr. Jamison said he is proud of faculty hires, targeted program growth and multiple accreditation success during his tenure.

“Last fall, I turned 75, and I said I can’t keep doing this forever, although I feel like I’ve still got some juice,” he said. “I really felt it was time to return to teaching.”

On Wednesday, Robert Morris said it planned to reduce its operating budget by approximately 4 percent to bring expenses in line with revenues, following a 3.5 percent enrollment decline in the fall and a 12 percent overall decrease since 2014, including international students.

It expects to cut administrative employee salary costs by $4 million to $5 million. Faculty positions are not being cut, nor are any degree programs being eliminated, said Robert Morris spokesman Jonathan Potts.

Responding to an email Monday, he declined to say how, if at all, the provost change would factor into those salary saving plans.

“We’re not going to discuss David’s compensation or how this move might impact the reorganization,” Mr. Potts said. “We regard that as a personnel matter.”