Statement from the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees, May 25, 2018
Dear USC faculty, staff, students, and alumni,
We appreciate the voices of the many members of the university community who have expressed indignation from the harm inflicted on our students by Dr. Tyndall. As a father of USC students, an alumnus, and a member of the USC community, I share your outrage and understand the frustration and anger regarding the situation with the former physician.
The University of Southern California is governed by a Board of Trustees, with both a fiduciary and legal responsibility to that community. We have heard the message that something is broken and that urgent and profound actions are needed.
Today, President Nikias and the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees have agreed to begin an orderly transition and commence the process of selecting a new president. We recognize the need for change and are committed to a stable transition. Please know that our actions will be swift and thorough, but we ask for your patience as we manage a complex process with due diligence. We will work with faculty, staff, student leadership, and alumni, and our focus remains on offering support and counseling to those impacted, investigating what happened, and listening to and healing our community. Our thoughts are with the families that have been affected by this situation, and our pledge to this community is that we will rebuild our culture to reflect an environment in which safety and transparency are of paramount importance, and to institute systemic change that will prevent this from occurring in the future.
There is nothing more sacred to this board than the wellbeing of our students. We will be guided solely by what is in the best interest of this great university.
Best,
Rick J. Caruso
Chairman
Subcommittee of the Executive Committee
USC Board of Trustees