Loftin Announces Plans For The Future

Dr. R. Bowen Loftin '71 today announced that he will step down as president of Texas A&M University effective January 13, 2014.

Loftin was hired in February 2010 after serving eight months as interim president.

In a statement to Aggies, Loftin said, "my greatest joy has always been found in our students.  My love for them and for this extraordinary institution has never been stronger.  That being said, I do miss the opportunity to teach and do research—activities that have characterized my long career in higher education.  I look forward to teaching and mentoring “my” students and to leading multidisciplinary research teams in creating new knowledge and transforming that knowledge into useful applications."

David Heath ’76, Chair of the Board of The Association of Former Students, praised Loftin for his steady leadership during a period of historic change.

“The leadership of The Association of Former Students was pleased and optimistic when Dr. Loftin was selected as Texas A&M University’s 24th president in 2010, because Dr. Loftin had long demonstrated
that he was a loyal former student of Texas A&M who well represented our core values and who understood the complexities of leading an institution of Texas A&M’s scope and stature. His tenure as president turned out to be one of the most exciting and dynamic periods in the university’s history, during which he provided focused leadership and worked effectively with all university stakeholders, including faculty and staff, students and former students. The Association’s leadership and staff have great respect for what Dr. Loftin has accomplished. We are sincerely grateful for his service and we are excited to know he will remain at Texas A&M as a tenured professor, leading groundbreaking research and continuing to impact students. 
 
“Just as we have throughout our 134-year history, The Association looks forward to working closely with the university’s next president to provide service and support to Texas A&M University.”

Under Loftin’s leadership, Texas A&M has grown to record numbers, with student enrollment exceeding 50,000 students. Loftin has navigated the university through numerous milestones and is presently overseeing the merger with the Health Science Center and acquisition of Texas Wesleyan Law School. Prior to his appointment as President of Texas A&M, he served as a Vice President of the university and the CEO of Texas A&M University at Galveston.

In 2010, Texas Aggie interviewed Loftin shortly after he was named president. Read the interview here.

Let AggieNetwork.com keep you informed as Texas A&M walks the path of finding a new president.

This page will serve as a landing page for future updates:

Loftin Announces Plans For The Future -- TAMU Times
Texas A&M President Stepping Down -- Texas Tribune 
Loftin Stepping Down As A&M President -- KBTX
A&M President Loftin To Step Down -- MySA
Texas A&M President R. Bowen Loftin To Step Down In January -- The Eagle
Transition To Teaching Not Uncommon For University Presidents -- The Eagle
Texas A&M President R. Bowen Loftin To Step Down, Will Stay On As Professor -- The Eagle
R. Bowen Loftin Says He decided To Resign To Spend More Time With Students -- The Eagle