WEBSTER GROVES, Mo. — Webster University's chancellor is stepping down at the end of 2023 after nearly 15 years with the university.
Chancellor Elizabeth "Beth" Stroble announced she will retire from her role as chancellor on Dec. 31. Stroble joined Webster University as president in 2009 and became chancellor in 2019.
The university's chairman announced last month that a global search would begin for a successor, but a timeline for Stroble stepping down was not given at the time. Board of Trustees Chair Sumit Verma said he and Stroble began discussions earlier this year and that Stroble would work with the board on the search process, according to the St. Louis Business Journal.
The announcement of a leadership change came as the university is under fire for financial struggles amid a report from the St. Louis Post Dispatch that showed the university lost more than $128 million over the past decade.
In early September, the owner of the downtown building that houses the university's Gateway campus sued the university, claiming it stopped paying its rent.
Later that month, students staged a walkout in protest of budget cuts and a pay raise for Stroble and President Julian Schuster, on the same day faculty members voted 59-41 that they had "no confidence" in either administrator.
After a "long-planned sabbatical" early next year, Stroble will continue to support the university through alumni relations and fundraising, the university said in a Friday statement.
“My experience at Webster University has been the highlight of my professional career. It has been truly an honor to work with the outstanding faculty, staff and students of this University,” Stroble said in a statement. “Webster’s mission and legacy of meeting unmet needs has inspired my commitment to improving the student experience, and I will continue to support the University in the future, extending the legacy of our founders, the Sisters of Loretto.”
The university's Board of Trustees said it is beginning a global search for her successor. Schuster will continue serving as president during the "transitionary time."
“The Board of Trustees understands how important it is to find the right person for the next era of Webster University’s history,” said Board of Trustees chairperson Sumit Verma. “The future of Webster is very bright, and we are going to take the time needed to select the right leader.”
