Brompton's Revolving Door

President Judy Hample’s unexpected departure as president of the University of Mary Washington in June leaves the institution with questions of who will take over leadership.

On Friday, Feb. 19 Hample said she would be stepping down as of June 30, 2010, only two years into her five-year contract as president.

Hample, the first female leader and eighth president of UMW, has been at the helm since July 1, 2008, after replacing William Frawley.

Now, the Board of Visitors has the task of looking for a new president.

In a UMW press release sent out on Friday, Hample said she was leaving to “pursue other interests in higher education.”

Hample spoke with The Bullet yesterday, but said that she would not discuss the conditions of her departure.

“I cannot speak on why I am leaving or what I am going to do after,” she said.

The announcement came after the BOV met in closed session for several hours on Friday.

Nanalou Sauder, rector of the BOV, said in the release, “On behalf of the Board of Visitors, I want to thank President Hample for her dedicated service to the University.”

“She began the important process of charting the University’s future course, and she will be remembered for leading the institution through a time of transition,” Sauder said.

Judy Hample is the third president in four years at the university.

William Frawley, who became president in July 2006 after long-time President Bill Anderson retired, was fired in April 2007.

Executive Vice President Rick Hurley took over as acting president from 2007 to 2008 during the search for Frawley’s replacement.

On Tuesday, Feb. 23, the BOV announced that Hurley had agreed to postpone his retirement and remain in his current position as executive vice president and chief financial officer.

“I thought about the fact that I’m the longest serving executive at the institution,” Hurley said. “I have all the institutional knowledge of how things work.”

Hurley said he did not know Hample’s reasons for leaving or who would fill the role of interim president.

Before coming to UMW, Hample was chancellor of Pennsylvania’s 14-campus public university system.

Sauder said the BOV will discuss a plan to provide new leadership at the top level of the university soon.

“We need to be deliberate and thoughtful in our actions,” Sauder said.

-Bullet staff contributed to this report.