Roderick Smothers, president of Little Rock’s Philander Smith College since 2015, has resigned.
In his resignation letter, Smothers said he’s leaving to pursue a new opportunity, KARK reported.
“For the past nine years, it has been an honor to lead this esteemed institution through unprecedented progress,” Smothers said in the letter. “Indeed, the time we have shared as a community of faculty, staff, students and alumni working in partnership with the Board of Trustees to Move Philander Forward has yielded many triumphs of which we can be proud.”
But in a letter to alumni, Terry Esper, chair of the board of trustees, suggests that Smothers was pushed out:
“As you all know, Philander Smith College has a rich history of accomplishing groundbreaking endeavors — literally and figuratively. When I was named Chair of the Board of Trustees in August 2022, I made a commitment to do anything within my power to ensure a strong future for this institution and our community. Our entire Board of Trustees is united in this work, in this mission and in moving Philander Forward. Sometimes that means making changes necessary to advance the institution’s mission and values.
With this in mind, the Board of Trustees and Dr. Smothers have agreed it is time to transition and move the college forward under new leadership.”
Esper signed his letter as “interim executive in charge and chair, board of trustees.”
The private, historically Black college affiliated with the United Methodist Church has about 800 students enrolled.
