The University of Alabama System chancellor, Finis St. John IV, will step down to take on the role of inaugural executive director of the Shelby Institute for Policy and Leadership on April 1, according to a recent news release. Sid J. Trant, the system’s current general counsel and senior vice chancellor, will serve as interim chancellor.
“It has been a tremendous honor to serve the University of Alabama System as chancellor following my tenure as a trustee,” St. John said in the release.
St. John has served as chancellor since 2018 and has overseen The University of Alabama, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the University of Alabama in Huntsville and the UAB Health System.
According to the news release, St. John’s new role will be directing the Shelby Scholars Program, a two-year leadership program that will expose annual cohorts of about 20 students to leadership, research and politics.
During his time as chancellor, St. John is credited with creating a program that helped reopen campuses during the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing research and development spending by nearly 40%, and increasing the number of first-year students who are Alabama residents, among other achievements.
“Education and public service have been my driving passions in my life, and I look forward to uniting the two in this role and launching an asset that will positively impact the University, the UA System and the state for years to come,” St. John said in the news release.
