The University of Delaware will undergo a leadership change this summer, as President Dennis Assanis has announced his decision to step down from his role, effective June 30. Assanis, who has led the institution for the past nine years, shared the news in a message to the university community, expressing deep appreciation for the opportunity to serve and reflecting on the accomplishments achieved during his tenure. His presidency saw major strides in student access, academic excellence, innovation, global engagement, and the expansion of facilities such as the STAR Campus and athletic complexes according to the statment.
In his statement, Assanis emphasized the pride he takes in the university’s progress and the collaborative efforts that have shaped its trajectory. Noting the challenges faced, including the global COVID-19 pandemic, he underscored the resilience of the UD community and his belief that the university is now well positioned for continued success. Assanis said he will work with university leadership to ensure a smooth transition in the weeks ahead.
Below is Assanis’ Statement
I write today to share with you that I have decided to step down as President of the University of Delaware, effective June 30. As I have said many times over the past nine years, serving in this role has been my great honor and privilege. I have no words to express how grateful I am to every member of the UD community for the wisdom, joy, inspiration, and friendship that you have brought to my wife, Eleni, and me during our time here at UD, a community that we truly love. Our hearts are filled with gratitude and pride. As we will forever value and cherish fond memories of all of you, this was not an easy decision.
UD is an amazing University — a very special place that balances a strong legacy with dynamic progress toward a future of new possibilities. What attracted me to the University of Delaware in the first place was a true sense of endless inspiration for the opportunities ahead. My leadership objectives included expanding student access and success; fostering academic excellence, interdisciplinary and global collaborations; building partnerships for innovation and entrepreneurship; launching and successfully completing the largest fundraising campaign in our University’s history; and building and renovating spaces to enhance the student experience, top-notch academics, community service and economic development, including UD’s STAR Campus and athletics facilities.
My greatest pride has been realized through the continuous improvement of our University on a holistic level, elevating institutional recognition and competitive status among higher education peers, both nationally and internationally. Together, we have achieved and sustained this transformative momentum in the face of tremendous economic and societal challenges on a global scale, including the COVID-19 pandemic.
At this point, I believe I have made the meaningful contributions that I set out to accomplish with all of you in translating our shared vision into a reality and advancing our institutional mission and strategic goals. I therefore feel this is the appropriate moment to make a leadership transition, with the institution’s best interests always in mind and a thoughtful approach for continued growth and excellence. In the coming days, I will continue to work closely with the University’s senior leadership team, deans and trustees to complete our goals for this year and ensure institutional continuity.
I look forward to Commencement, and so many other programs and activities we have going on at UD through the end of this academic year. To the thousands of members of our community who make UD so special — students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, friends, institutional partners, state and local leaders and dignitaries, near and far — I wholeheartedly thank you for your support and partnership in all the work we have done together to advance UD’s position as a leader in higher education.
With gratitude,
Dennis Assanis
President