NORTHFIELD — The Norwich University Board of Trustees says former President Mark Anarumo was being investigated for possible violations of the school's “core guiding values” and “policy” when he resigned.
The private military school announced on Jan. 5 that Anarumo had been placed on leave and “may not return to work.” It declined to comment further at the time because a school representative said it was an “ongoing personnel matter.”
Anarumo told VTDigger that the decision to leave was “mutual” and that no particular incident led to his leaving the school. He told the online news organization that demographic challenges and the challenges of running a small school in New England were factors in his departing Norwich, and that he and his family decided “it was time to go for various reasons.”
In a statement provided Tuesday evening to The Times Argus and later shared on social media, the school's board of trustees said it was informed on Nov. 29 “of some actions by Dr. Anarumo that may have violated University policies.”
The board said in the statement an independent, outside investigation was initiated, and when preliminary findings shows Anarumo clearly violated “Norwich's core guiding values and University policy,” Anarumo was placed on paid leave. The board said Anarumo tendered his resignation before the investigation was complete, effective Jan. 4. The board accepted his resignation at its meeting Tuesday.
The statement did not give any details about what values or policies Anarumo is accused of violating.
The board praised Anarumo for his enthusiasm while serving as school president. The statement said Karen Gaines, the school's provost and dean of faculty, has been appointed acting president as the board works on next steps to replacing Anarumo.
Efforts to reach Anarumo for comment were unsuccessful.
He was announced as the school's 24th president in January 2020 and took over for former President Rich Schneider in June of that year.
Anarumo, a retired colonel with the Air Force, made national headlines in 2021 when he decided to live in the dorms alongside students as they dealt with restrictions from the pandemic.
