On Thursday, the Texas Tech Alumni Association issued a letter to its members about the sudden retirement of Chancellor Robert Duncan.
Duncan’s retirement will be effective Friday, according to an Aug. 13 Texas Tech news release.
Related Story: Tedd Mitchell named as interim chancellor of Texas Tech System
The following is a letter from the Executive Committee of the Texas Tech Alumni Association National Board of Directors:
Dear Texas Tech Alumni,
The Texas Tech Alumni Association has received a number of inquiries from alumni expressing concern about the abrupt resignation of Chancellor Robert Duncan.
In every instance, we have responded to these inquiries and sent these expressions of concern to the Texas Tech University System.
The Alumni Association strongly supports the establishment of a School of Veterinary Medicine in Amarillo. The regents have approved this action, and Governor Greg Abbott has stated, “I have supported the vet school, and I’ll continue to support whatever the mission is of the Texas Tech University System.” Interim Chancellor Dr. Tedd Mitchell, has indicated that Texas Tech will move forward with this critical program.
We also want to thank Dr. Mitchell for accepting the role of interim chancellor, and we will certainly support him in this new role. He has been a strong leader of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, and we feel he will continue to offer strong leadership in this new role.
Finally, we want to thank Robert Duncan for his strong leadership as our chancellor. In the four years under his leadership, the Texas Tech University System raised more than $585 million in philanthropic support, building a culture of sustained philanthropy and outpacing previous administrations. The Texas Tech University System’s endowment has grown from $150 million to a total value of $1.3 billion. Degrees awarded, student enrollment and research expenditures have also reached record levels.
Beyond his impact at the Texas Tech University System, Bob has made a significant difference in this region and our entire state through his decades of effective public service and visionary leadership. We are truly grateful for all he and Terri have done to make this a better place.
Sincerely,
The Executive Committee of the Texas Tech Alumni Association National Board of Directors
