PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Temple University Board of Trustees has named former provost JoAnne Epps as interim president. The former president, Jason Wingard, resigned two weeks ago, before a scheduled vote of no confidence, after leading the university for two years.
She says she's taught at Temple for more than three decades. She served as the dean of Temple’s Beasley School of Law until she was appointed provost of the university in 2016. Current provost Gregory Mandel replaced her in August 2021.
Epps said she is taking on safety and enrollment as her priorities. And she's hoping to use her own experience in law and working with law enforcement to focus on public safety.
She said she was turning in her retirement papers when she was polled about her ideas about the future of Temple and asked if the role was something she would consider. Epps says while she serves on an interim basis, the search for a president continues. She said she will not be a candidate for the full-time future president of the university.
The Temple Association of University Professionals, representing faculty, librarians and other academic professionals, is an early critic of Epps' appointment.
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They say having Epps and Mandel, two law school professors, in the two highest-level positions doesn't represent the university's breadth of academics or student experience.
"Epps' appointment was made without consulting the Temple Association of University Professionals," the union said in a statement released Tuesday.
"Doubtless, few other key stakeholders such as students, parents, and community members were consulted on such a central choice. This is no surprise."
Temple, as a publicly funded university, should have gotten buy-in from more stakeholders before making a decision that could affect "thousands of students, workers, and the people of North Philadelphia," the union said.
They say the exclusion of voices beyond the Board of Trustees calls to mind the reasons TAUP is pursuing a vote of no confidence in Mandel and board chairman Mitchell Morgan on Friday, April 14.