KSU President Sam Olens To Step Down In February

Sam Olens, a former Georgia attorney general, has served as president of Kennesaw State University since Nov. 1, 2016. The University System of Georgia said it would immediately begin the search for KSU’s next president.

David Goldman / Associated Press file

Kennesaw State University announced today that President Sam Olens will be stepping down from his position on Feb. 15. KSU’s provost and vice president for academic affairs, Dr. Ken Harmon, will serve as interim president when Olens leaves.

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Olens, a former Georgia attorney general, has served as president of KSU since Nov. 1, 2016. The University System of Georgia said it would immediately begin the search for KSU’s next president and form a campus-based search committee.

Olens has recently received criticism for his response to the KSU cheerleaders who knelt for the national anthem during football games.

“Challenges to the institution were evident as I began my tenure, and these trials, coupled with internal trepidations, made for a very difficult start,” Olens said in a campus email sent to KSU students. “I have worked tirelessly to lead this institution to greater heights, with student success being my number one priority.”