SUNY Purchase president Milagros Peña announced Wednesday she would be stepping down from her administrative role at the end of the spring semester.
Peña informed the campus community at the school's faculty convocation and in a letter to students. The decision comes after almost a year of fraught tension between members of the student body and administration over treatment of pro-Palestine student protesters .
"It has been an honor to serve as President of Purchase College over the past four years. After considerable reflection and discussion about what is best for me and my family, I informed Chancellor King over the summer that this 2024-2025 academic year will be my last year as President," Peña said in the letter. "I have mixed emotions about my decision to retire as president after the spring semester, because, though we still face challenges as a community, we have accomplished a great deal together and our shared mission of providing access to a high quality, transformative public education is as important as ever."
Peña was announced as president of the school in 2020 , amid a global pandemic and educational and financial challenges throughout the SUNY system.
A first-generation college student from New York City, she became the first Latina woman to lead a SUNY school. She previously served as the dean of the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences at University of California, Riverside.
Whether or not a search is underway for her replacement now was not known at the time of this story. The Journal News has reached out to the State University of New York for comment.
More: Did SUNY Purchase, New Paltz protest arrests violate free speech protections?
In May, 68 students and faculty members at a campus encampment related to a peaceful pro-Palestinian protest were arrested after Peña allowed police to enter the campus.
The Westchester County District Attorney's Office later dropped most of the charges as part of the "Fresh Start" initiative, which allows first-time defendants to avoid criminal prosecution.
Students called for Peña's removal as president following the arrests and the college's faculty later wrote a letter to Peña and approved a vote of no confidence against her for her decision to allow police on campus.
"This represents a catastrophic failure by the administration to uphold the fundamental pillars of justice, academic freedom, and the democratic principles our institution is supposed to embody and impart," the letter said. "Rather than fostering an inclusive environment supporting a range of ideas, the leadership has chosen a path of alienation, vilification, and unjust criminalization of responsible free expression."
Commencement occurred at the end of the school year without a hitch. However, tensions did not seem to be quelled over the summer break.
Antisemitic graffiti found on campus at Alumni Village
On Aug. 29, antisemitic graffiti was found on a sidewalk on campus at the Alumni Village houses, just three days after the start of the semester. Peña and Faculty Presiding Officer Andrew Salomon condemned the graffiti, which was seen as a "violent threat towards Israel," and expressed a willingness to work together to make the campus a safe place for all students.
The graffiti included the statement "Zionists go home," as well as the symbol of an "inverted triangle." Inverted triangle symbols, specifically red, have been used by Hamas to mark Jewish targets.
"As we have communicated repeatedly, discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin, including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics, has no place on our campus and in our community," Peña said in a statement. "Our policies unequivocally condemn acts of hatred, bigotry, racism, intolerance or violence. "There will never be a place for antisemitism, or hate of any kind on our campus."
Next steps for Peña
SUNY Chancellor John B. King provided a statement to the school, praising Peña's performance and leadership as president of the school.
“Since becoming Purchase College’s sixth president, Milly has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the liberal arts and arts that are at the heart of the campus’s mission, and to furthering the excellence and diversity of the student body,” King said.
Peña clarified in her letter to the campus community that while she is retiring from administration, she intends to continue working in academia as an "an advocate for diversity at all levels of higher education." She also said she will continue to live in the community and support Purchase College and the SUNY system independently.
"We still have a lot to do before I step away, and I look forward to working together to ensure that Purchase College continues to thrive," Peña said. "While there are challenges ahead, I feel confident that we have the flexibility, the skills, and the determination to continue to provide an excellent education for our students and to make progress as an institution that is continually evolving, while safeguarding our community and living up to our values during this extraordinary time."
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: SUNY Purchase president Peña to step down after spring 2025 semester
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