Today is Kwang-Wu Kim’s last day as president and CEO of Columbia College.
Kim has led the college since July 1, 2013. Kim, a native of Chicago, came to Columbia from Arizona State University, where he served as dean and director of the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts.
On Valentine’s Day this year, the college announced that Kim would step down on Monday, July 1. Senior Vice President and Current Chief Financial Officer Jerry Tarrer will become interim president and CEO on Tuesday, July 2 while the Board of Trustees conducts a presidential search.
In an exclusive interview with the Chronicle in March, Kim said he started thinking about leaving the college last summer, well before the seven-week part-time faculty strike in Fall 2023 and the repeated calls for him to resign during that contentious period. The college’s financial deficit nearly doubled after the historic strike was ultimately settled.
During his time at the college, enrollment plummeted, following national trends in higher education.
He also led Columbia through the election and divisive presidency of Donald Trump, the George Floyd protests, the election of Chicago’s first openly gay and Black female mayor, the COVID-19 pandemic and the roll-out of ChatGPT.
Kim declined a final interview with the Chronicle so we have combed our archives to tell his story at the college through our own coverage.
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