Higher Education
Higher Education

KSU President Sam Olens to resign in February

By and
Dec 14, 2017

Kennesaw State University President Sam Olens is resigning on Feb. 15, he announced in a letter Thursday to students, faculty and staff.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution reported last week that Olens was considering leaving the university.

The Georgia Board of Regents voted to hire Olens as president in November 2016, despite complaints raised that he had no experience as an administrator at a college and that he was the only candidate for the job. Olens is the former chairman of the Cobb County Board of Commissioners and state Attorney General.

A state report released last month found Olens ignored guidelines on how to respond to student protests concerning the national anthem. The report was done after the AJC obtained text messages that suggested Cobb County Sheriff Neil Warren and state Rep. Earl Ehrhart, R-Powder Springs, pressured Olens to make changes that prevented such protests.

An updated version can be found here on MyAJC.com.

About the Authors

Eric Stirgus joined The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2001. He is the newsroom's education editor. Born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., Eric is active in the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists and the Education Writers Association and enjoys mentoring aspiring journalists.

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Greg Bluestein is a political reporter who covers the governor's office and Georgia politics.

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