Driven by desire to teach, Loftin will step down

Thanks to Bill Oliver and 1620 WTAW for the attached audio and extra quotes

Dr. R. Bowen Loftin, the bowtie-wearing Texas A&M president who helped A&M make the “100-year decision” to join the Southeastern Conference, announced on Friday he’s made another dramatic decision.

In a university press release, Loftin announced that he will step down as president effective Jan. 2014.

Loftin, who was named A&M president in February of 2010, will return to the faculty to serve as a tenured professor in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering in  the Dwight Look College of Engineering.

“Since returning to Texas A&M in 2005 as a vice president, my greatest joy has always been found in our students,” Loftin said in the release. “My love for them and for this extraordinary institution has never been stronger.

“That being said, I do miss the opportunity to teach and do research — activities that have characterized my long career in higher education. I look forward to teaching and mentoring my students and to leading multidisciplinary research teams in creating new knowledge and transforming that knowledge into useful applications.

“I will spend the next five months on programs and plans currently in development, such as management of the largest student body in the history of the school. In the following period, I will work with Provost Karan Watson as well as many of our deans and system agency directors toward the launch of a new institute at Texas A&M — to serve the state, the nation and the world.

"I will certainly will miss being 'aggieprez' (my twitter handle), but I will still be part of this great university and will be serving on the ‘front lines’ of the academy, side-by-side with those I love the most — our students.”

Loftin was an instrumental figure in Texas A&M’s move from the Big 12 Conference to the Southeastern Conference last year, a move he called “a 100-year decision."

When he was working to iron out details of the move two years ago, Loftin said: “It’s not so much about what’s wrong with the Big 12 as what’s right for Texas A&M.

“What we do will be in the best interest of Texas A&M and the state of Texas.”

In May, Texas A&M received a $20.7 million payout for its share of the SEC revenue distribution plan. That figure is expected to spike dramatically with the development of the impending SEC Network.

“Dr. Loftin has led Texas A&M University through a tremendous period of growth and advancement ranging from the move to the SEC to over $700 million in research to the largest freshman class in the school’s history this fall,” Texas A&M System Board of Regents Chairman Phil Adams said in the release. “His service and commitment to Aggieland is appreciated and will long be remembered.”

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Quotes from Chancellor John Sharp

On working with President Loftin in the past…

“[Loftin] has been great to work with. Whenever we would disagree, we would always do it in a good fashion and would come up with a conclusion that was good for A&M. He has been great to work with merging the Health Sciences Center into the university and strengthening the research program there. He’s been great to work with during the law school acquisition which we hope to close in the next 30 to 40 days. I’m just glad we’re going to have him around until we finish those projects, and it wouldn’t be too bad to put a national championship ring on his finger before he leaves.”

On Loftin staying at Texas A&M University…

“We’re going to miss Bowen, but we’re glad that he is going to stay. One of the things he told me that he wanted to do, aside from teaching – and there isn’t anyone on the campus that loves the students more than Bowen does – I think he misses not being in the classroom with them. He also told me that he wants to start an institute to do research, and I’m going to do everything I can to provide him with the resources to do that and get it approved through the engineering school and through the regents. I’m glad he’s staying all the way through January 13th because we still have a law school to close and the completion of the health sciences merging into the university.”

On Loftin’s popularity among the A&M students…

“I’m not sure that there has ever been anybody that is more popular and more in tune to the students than Bowen has been. He was a great partner up even until last night when the city council approved the Kyle Field partnership with A&M on facility usage. We worked really well together.

"I’m going to go to the board in August with as generous a separation package as I can. In the past, A&M and all of us have always done these great separation packages for presidents that we fired, but I think that sends the wrong signal. I think we ought to do the same thing for a president who has done a good job and send that message to the world that if you come here and give us four or five good years as a president, they will be rewarded at the end of that.”

On the hard task of filling Loftin’s shoes…

“I think it will. It sure will be in terms of dealing with and getting along with the students. When everyone gets back in September and gets settled, we’ll start talking about putting together a search committee that will include faculty and former students and other stakeholders within the university. It will be a full-blown nationwide search and we will welcome all who believe they are qualified to be president. We’re going to try to pick the best president for the future of Texas A&M that we can possibly find.

Quotes from Student Body President Reid Joseph

On finding out President Loftin was stepping down…

“We all got the e-mail, and everyone was kind of looking around before the meeting. We were kind of assessing based on who was in the room on what it could possibly be. We were all curious and everyone was asking each other if they knew why we were all there. I was definitely sad to hear the news, however, we were all very excited that he would be staying on here at Texas A&M.”

On what separates Loftin from other A&M presidents…

“The big thing that separates President Loftin is how approachable and how involved he has been with the student body. When you look at all that he does, it is absolutely amazing. I’m still processing the whole thing, but I will always have such fond memories of President Loftin and the gentleman and the Aggie that he is. I’m excited for him being able to move on to where he really feels best and where he has a big calling which is back with the students in the classroom.”