Drury University president to step down

In a surprise move, the president of Drury University has announced he is stepping down.

David Manuel sent an email to students Thursday evening, just hours after notifying the university's Board of Trustees that he plans to retire at the end of the school year.

His final day is expected to be May 31.

"For several months, I have been considering my future personal and professional plans in light of completing nearly 41 years in higher education," he wrote in the four-paragraph email to students.

Manuel, 68, began his tenure as president in mid-2013 and during that time, the private liberal arts university has experienced an enrollment drop, which has triggered a series of faculty, staff and budget cuts. Drury's traditional "day school" enrollment stands at 1,315.

Kayce Macormick, a freshman from Rolla who is studying business marketing, said she learned about Manuel's exit by email Thursday. She questioned the timing.

“It’s kind of weird how it happens right after all this stuff with the staff and with our budget cuts and losing professors," she said.

Manuel wrote that he will work closely with the Board of Trustees "in the upcoming transition." Mike Brothers, director of media relations, said the board has not yet announced a framework for filling the position.

"More information will be forthcoming in due time," he said.

The Louisiana native and former chancellor of Louisiana State University at Alexandria was selected in late 2012 to replace Todd Parnell, who had announced plans to retire at the end of the 2012-13 year.

"Thank you for the opportunity to lead this wonderful university; it has been a privilege to serve you and Drury's faculty, staff, alumni and donors," Manuel wrote. "I have enjoyed working with all of Drury's constituent groups and have come to deeply admire this great American university and the Springfield community."

The current salary for Manuel was not immediately available. Drury is a private school and typically does not disclose that information. But the university's 990 tax form filed with the Internal Revenue Service for 2013, during which Manuel worked part of the year, listed his total compensation as $157,340. It was the most recent year available.Manuel signed a three-year contract when he started June 1, 2013. His planned exit date of May 31 marks the end of that contractual obligation.

“We appreciate Dr. David and Betty Coe Manuel’s service to Drury and the community,” said Lyle Reed, chairman of the Board of Trustees, in a news release. “We look forward to working together toward a smooth transition.”

In September and October, the university administration was openly criticized by some students upset about its plan to cut 12 faculty jobs — five at the end of this year and seven at the end of next year — to save money and redirect resources.

Hadeil Ali, a senior in international politics and communication, said students were upset about the cuts.

"My thing is more the transparency and the communication of these cuts," she said. "So I think students found out about  these cuts through the News-Leader’s article and the Mirror’s article before the school itself informed us, and I think maybe that was why a lot of students were upset about it in the first place, because they feel they have the right to know this.”

Manuel and other administrators participated in a series of student forums, during which they answered questions and explained the strategy behind the cuts as well as plans to increase enrollment in the coming years.

The administration has also pushed back against an allegation that it was moving away from its liberal arts mission. A Facebook page titled "Save Drury University as a Liberal Arts School" has nearly 1,700 members.

Reporter Jon Swedien contributed to this story.