Saying the University of Tennessee at Knoxville “needed a change,” UT system President Joe DiPietro on Wednesday effectively fired Chancellor Dr. Beverly Davenport as head of UT’s flagstaff campus.
As a result, Davenport, who became chancellor less than 16 months ago, has been placed on administrative leave until she officially leaves the post on July 1.
She then will become a member of the faculty in the College of Communication and Information at a reduced salary.
“It is my responsibility as UT president to ensure the success of every campus, beginning with the leadership of every campus,” DiPietro said in a news release. “A great deal is at stake in these hires, particularly given the importance of the flagship campus both to fulfilling the UT system mission and to that mission’s impact on the lives of all Tennesseans.”
University of Tennessee Chancellor Beverly Davenport listens during a press conference, Friday, Dec. 1, 2017, in Knoxville, Tenn., where Phillip Fulmer was named athletic director at the university. The university placed former AD John Currie on paid leave amid what has been a tumultuous and embarrassing football coaching search. (Calvin Mattheis/Knoxville News Sentinel via AP)DiPietro said that “upon realizing that UT Knoxville needed a change from Dr. Davenport’s leadership, I decided to take action to address the leadership need.”