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Loftin “transitioning” to new role

COLUMBIA, Mo.  – R. Bowen Loften, University of Missouri Chancellor, announced Monday afternoon that he “will transition into a new role focused on research” effective January 1.

Nine deans from different schools at the flagship university sent a letter requesting Loftin’s dismissal.

The announcement comes hours after University of Missouri System President Tim Wolfe announced his immediate resignation as students and legislators started to call for his resignation.

Loftin implemented mandatory sensitivity training for all incoming students after hate crimes persisted on campus.

The resignations follow Jonathan Butler’s week-long hunger strike demanding Wolfe resign, an announcement that Mizzou football would not play until Wolfe resigned, and legislators call for Wolfe’s resignation in light of issues with racism on campus. Cries for Loftin’s resignation were no where near as loud as the ones for Wolfe, and many students expressed their disappointment in seeing Loftin, who had emerged as a popular character on campus, go. Calls for Loftin’s resignation primarily lay with speculation that he was responsible for ending the university’s contracts with Planned Parenthood. In fact, Wolfe was speculated to have attempted to use Loftin as a scapegoat more than once – at a Curator’s meeting in October and again this past weekend.


Loftin formerly held research roles as a professor at Rice University and Texas A&M before and continuing his ascension to leadership.