Temple provost to step down this summer

Temple University provost Gregory N. Mandel will step down this summer after more than three years in the position, the university announced Tuesday.

It marks the second major change in the university’s top administration since John A. Fry arrived as president Nov. 1. Mary Burke, vice president for institutional advancement, resigned earlier this month, but her departure was immediate. Changes in top administration often occur after a new president arrives.

“I have found myself deeply missing the opportunity to engage in research and teaching the next generation of legal professionals,” Mandel said in a statement to the campus community, calling his time as provost “one of the greatest honors of my career.”

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He will return to the law school faculty and serve as senior adviser to the president when he departs as provost on July 13, the university said.

In an interview, Mandel said the decision to step down was “completely” his and comes after serving the university during one of the most turbulent times in its leadership history.

“I have been in this role with four different presidents,” he said. “I hopefully have been able to provide some stability for the university during that time.”

Mandel, who had been Temple’s law school dean, was named interim provost in August 2021 by then-president Jason Wingard and got the permanent post later that year. In April 2023, amid turbulence over a graduate student worker strike, the fatal shooting of a campus police officer, and Wingard’s leadership, the faculty union voted no confidence in Mandel and Mitchell L. Morgan, chair of the board of trustees.

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But Mandel remained in place through the leadership of the late JoAnne A. Epps, who had stepped in as acting president after Wingard resigned, and Richard M. Englert, who became president after Epps’ sudden death in September 2023.

“Over the last several years, he has helped guide the university and its 17 schools and colleges through times of both uncertainty and transition,” Fry said in a message to the campus. “Even in times of challenge, Greg always remained focused on Temple’s mission of access and excellence. We are in a stronger place today because of his efforts.”

The university intends to conduct a national search for a new provost, Fry said in a message to the community. David Boardman, who has been dean of the Klein College of Media and Communication since 2013-14, will serve as interim provost for the next academic year, Fry said, but will not be a candidate for the permanent post. Boardman will remain dean as well and will continue planning and fundraising for the new building, while senior associate dean Deborah Cai will serve as acting dean and be responsible for oversight of the college, Fry said.

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Under Mandel, the university last year launched the Temple Promise program, which makes tuition and fees free to first-time, full-time college students from low-income families who live in Philadelphia, and last month it began the Temple Future Scholars program, a mentoring and college-readiness program for seventh graders in some Philadelphia public schools.

The university last week joined the University Innovation Alliance, an organization of public universities aimed at finding innovations to improve learning and increase college attendance, retention, and graduation rates. Temple came on the alliance’s radar in part because of Temple Promise.

The college also achieved its highest ranking in U.S. News & World Report under Mandel’s leadership.