Carol Folt will remain president of USC after her contract was extended by the Board of Trustees, a university spokesperson told Annenberg Media Tuesday.
Folt, whose contract was set to expire on July 1, has remained in office for the past week without an official statement. The statement to Annenberg Media comes as the university’s only information on the status of Folt’s tenure. The spokesperson would not explain further details on the length by which Folt’s contract was extended, why it was amended or what the amendment included.
The university spokesperson said that the decision to extend Folt’s contract was made before July 1, but would not say why it was not shared until after Folt’s contract was set to expire.
“President Folt’s contract has been amended and extended, and the board is looking forward to her continued service,” the university spokesperson said.
Update: Three hours after this story was published, the university sent Annenberg Media a follow-up statement. “President Folt’s contract remains in full force. Like all university officers, the president is subject to annual review and reappointment, which occurred this last spring,” the university statement read. “The Board remains pleased with the university’s strong direction under President Folt’s leadership.”
Folt had been scrutinized throughout the spring semester for her handling of protests on campus and her decisions to cancel valedictorian Asna Tabassum’s speech and the main-stage commencement ceremony. In May, she was censured by USC’s Academic Senate, who cited “widespread dissatisfaction and concern” amongst faculty members. An investigation into “campus events” during the past academic year “related to the conflict in the Middle East” is currently underway.
Annenberg Media began asking last week about Folt’s contract, which was set to expire over a week ago. For a week after its expiration date, the university would not describe the status of her tenure, but confirmed she was currently president. The Board of Trustees did not respond to Annenberg Media’s two requests for comment.
The L.A. Times reported in March 2019 that Folt had signed a five year contract. At that time, the board’s chairman, Rick Caruso, provided details about her compensation and the expected length of her tenure. He said that Folt would be paid the same as the university’s former president, who earned more than $1 million annually, and that he expected her to serve for at least a decade.
Neither the board, nor its chairwoman, Suzanne Nora Johnson, would respond to questions from Annenberg Media about Folt’s current contract or compensation. A university spokesperson told Annenberg Media that there is no search committee to select the 13th president.