Mount St. Mary president resigns

Mount St. Mary President Simon Newman announced his resignation on Monday after controversy over student retention.

According to The New York Times, Newman planned to dismiss 20 to 25 students before the end of September in order to increase Mount’s retention numbers. Despite opposition from faculty and administration aware of the plan, Newman administered a student survey to this year’s incoming freshman designed to “cull the class.”

Dr. Greg Murry, Director of the Veritas Symposium, stated that Newman had requested Murry to create a list of freshman that were unlikely to finish their freshman year.

“This is hard for you because you think of the students as cuddly bunnies, but you can’t,” said Newman. “You just have to drown the bunnies.”

Newman later apologized for his actions and said that his intentions were to help students at risk of failing academically. However, in early February, faculty had voted 87 to 3 for Newman’s resignation “for the good of the community.”

Dean of the Mount’s business school, Karl Einolf, will replace Newman’s position as president.

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