The president of Mary Baldwin University in Staunton has resigned citing family and personal reasons, according to a statement released on Thursday.
Todd Telemeco will remain at the school through June to “ensure continuity through the end of the academic year and support the transition ahead.” Former MBU President Jeff Stein abruptly left the campus in late August, only two weeks into the academic year.
In addition to the news of Telemeco’s departure, MBU also announced that four academic minors that were discontinued in October and associated faculty have been reinstated, a minor victory for students and alumni who have demanded that all are restored.
Alumni have expressed strong opposition to proposed changes announced by MBU’s Board of Trustees in November with plans at the time to discontinue 17 academic minors and associated faculty members.
Community members joined alumni and faculty in protests on campus, and an online petition, now with more than 5,000 signatures, was launched questioning the academic program realignment and the lack of engagement with students and leadership in the process. The alumni expressed concern about the decisions having “drastic and life-altering consequences” for employees and students. The petition also called for the president to reinstate terminated faculty and discontinued minors.
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In the statement released yesterday, MBU acknowledged that recent months “have been challenging for members of our campus and surrounding community.”
Many people feared that the Staunton-based school was considering shuttering the downtown campus and relocating to its Fishersville location.
Vice President of Integrated Communication Liesel Nowak told AFP in November that the goal of the changes was to ensure “the entire university is positioned on solid, long-term footing.”
The statement released this week said the historic campus “between Frederick and Academy streets remains central” to its identity. The university is, however, exploring the sale of or repurposing of properties that are no longer central to the residential undergraduate experience and to concentrate care and investment in residential and historic buildings and those that directly support academic and student life.
A financial audit of MBU showed the school operating at a $3.9 million loss in 2024 and in debt approximately $18.8 million with the loans being secured by a deed of trust and real property.
“Mary Baldwin University remains focused on supporting its students, faculty, and staff, and on strengthening the undergraduate residential experience that has been central to its mission for nearly two centuries,” the statement said.
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- Staunton: Mary Baldwin faces significant financial challenges, including staff cuts
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Crystal Graham
