NYU will announce its next president on the morning of Feb. 15, according to multiple employees and students who knew of plans for the announcement. The successor will replace Andrew Hamilton as the university’s president after the end of the current academic year. At least two invite-only meet-and-greet events for faculty, administrators and students — both hosted at the Kimmel Center for University Life — will follow the announcement.

Hamilton, who announced in April of last year that he would be stepping down, will end his tenure on June 30. While he will no longer serve as president, he will remain at the College of Arts & Science as a chemistry professor after taking a sabbatical. He joined NYU after serving as Yale University’s provost and leading Oxford University as vice chancellor.

An NYU spokesperson confirmed that the announcement would be made on Feb. 15, but was not able to provide further details.

Following the onset of COVID-19, many university presidents across the country resigned, including at Harvard University, Columbia University, Tufts University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology — all of which have since announced successors.

In June of 2022, NYU announced the formation of a Presidential Search Committee, which was responsible for the process of finding a new president. The committee — composed of 26 faculty, staff, administrators, university trustees, and the chair of the student government — hosted a series of listening sessions for the NYU community to share input. They were not met with much enthusiasm by students, though; at a session meant for students, only one was in attendance.

A job profile for NYU’s next president, created by the Presidential Search Committee, notes that philanthropic support to the university has increased in recent years from over $250 million to $700 million annually. In 2021, the university raised over $900 million. Being able to further increase fundraising, according to the job profile, is a crucial qualification of the university’s next president, especially given NYU’s status as a private institution. Other duties for Hamilton’s successor include creating a “signature student experience,” expanding NYU’s global network, and attracting and recruiting distinguished faculty.

David Bloomfield, an expert in education law who teaches at Brooklyn College and the City University of New York Graduate Center, said that alongside an ability to fundraise, reliability and experience are the most important qualities of a university president.

“I think fundraising is an important, if not the most important, function for university presidents,” Bloomfield said. “Tuition is only a small part of the revenue stream for private universities and [every institution] requires a great deal of outside funding not only from alumni but other big institutional and individual donors.”

Evan Chesler, an acclaimed lawyer and professor at NYU Law who was recently appointed as chairperson to NYU’s board of trustees, has also been working with the committee to find Hamilton’s replacement. At NYU, university presidents including Hamilton and his successor are appointed by, and report to, the board of trustees.

Carmo Moniz contributed reporting. Contact Yezen Saadah at [email protected].