We the undersigned - students, alumni, friends, and community members - together urge the Board of Regents to select former President Walter Harrison to become the Interim President of the University of Hartford, while the university looks for long-term qualified leadership. President Harrison is the only person with the financial acumen, integrity, and reputation to fill this position at this critical juncture. The undersigned pledge to donate, if financially able, to the university if Walt is hired because of our faith in his character, expertise, and leadership. 

We undoubtedly believe that Walter Harrison is the best candidate to fill this position. His success as President of the University of Hartford from 1988 to 2017 speaks for itself. During his previous tenure of nearly 20 years, the longest-serving president in the university’s history, he gained immense knowledge, experience, and expertise on how to run the University of Hartford successfully. Walt can quickly position the university to get back on track financially, academically, athletically, and reputationally, which is desperately needed as the university is in an $11 million deficit, enrollment is at an all-time low, there is consistent bad press on the university and its administration’s conduct and decision making, and the university is currently facing numerous legal actions and employee whistleblower reports. 

Walt is uniquely qualified to get the university out of its current $11 million deficit. President Harrison previously oversaw a dramatic improvement in the university’s financial stability. He helped bring the university out of junk bond status, grow the university’s endowment, which almost tripled during his presidency, as well as construct or renovate 17 different university buildings. The Harrison administration had an accumulated surplus of $27 million when he retired.

Student enrollment has significantly dropped under the current leadership. Reputationally, Walt had been able to establish and maintain a great relationship with the community so much so that he had helped generate significant growth in the undergraduate and graduate student population while in office. During the administration of former president Walter Harrison, the university’s full-time undergraduate enrollment grew from 4,007 to 4,750 before leveling off at 4,500 full-time students in 2016-2017 when he retired. Walt also worked to better the Hartford community by taking an active role in the Upper Albany Main Street program to aid small businesses, and helped build two nationally recognized magnet schools. For his commitment to the Hartford area and his career in higher education, Harrison received a Doctor of Humane Letters honorary degree from Goodwin College in 2016.

Walt values all students and he actively improved the university’s offerings in the arts, athletics, and academics generally. Walt’s efforts to help students did not go unnoticed as the university’s libraries and the America East Conference Academic Cup are now named after President Harrison in recognition of his devotion to learning, academic excellence, and improving student life. Additionally, Walt has been recognized as one the most influential leaders of NCAA academic reform, leading the development of the NCAA's Academic Progress Rate (APR) and chairing its Committee on Academic Performance from its creation in 2004 to 2014.

We, the undersigned, urge the university to select Walt as the University of Hartford’s interim president because he is by far the best candidate to stabilize and reposition the university in a way such that the university will be able to improve on all fronts - financially, academically, and reputationally.