Post updated at 5:10 p.m. Friday, May 23:
Frank Arpan has resigned from his position as president of Haskell Indian Nations University after about two years in the role.
He will remain with the university until mid-June, according to a spokesperson for the Bureau of Indian Education.
In an email to campus Friday afternoon, Arpan wrote that “the decision to pursue other opportunities was not an easy one,” but he did not specify further what he meant or what’s next for him. The president’s office could not be reached for further comment.
Arpan, Yankton Sioux, was named Haskell’s vice president of academics in May 2022. He was first listed as the university’s president in January 2023, but he was officially announced to the role a few months later. There had been quite a bit of administrative turnover at the university throughout the few years prior.
Arpan was formally inaugurated as president on campus in September 2023.
“It has been my honor to serve the students, staff, faculty, and tribal communities for the past three years,” Arpan wrote in his message. “In that time, we have seen many changes, have come together as a campus community to provide the best learning environment that we can, and have seen enrollment reach the highest levels in 14 years.”
He wrote that “While I may not always agree with operational decisions that are passed our way, I greatly appreciate the work being done by BIE leadership and the BIE. The mission of the BIE is of vast importance to our tribal communities, and I will continue to support that mission in any way possible. I will truly miss working with you all, our students, the Haskell community, our Haskell National Board of Regents, and all our supporting partners.”
In February, the federal government ordered widespread, baseless cuts to employees who had probationary status. Roughly three dozen Haskell employees — constituting more than 20% of the university’s staff, and including instructors who were teaching 34 courses — were fired without cause because of the federal directives. Most have since returned to their employment with the university, but the firings significantly disrupted the semester.
Arpan was unable to attend community meetings and speak on the firings himself. But a Haskell professor told community members in March that Arpan had been working endless hours “to do everything he can to ensure that we’re going to be made whole again.”
The university president job was not yet posted on the federal government’s jobs site as of Friday afternoon.
The BIE spokesperson said the bureau would work closely with Haskell’s Board of Regents “to support strong interim leadership and help identify the next president to advance Haskell’s mission and inspire its continued growth.”
“We appreciate President Arpan’s leadership and many contributions to the Haskell Indian Nations University community,” the BIE spokesperson said. “His efforts advanced student achievement, supported cultural preservation, and helped guide the institution through periods of change and growth.”
“Haskell’s mission remains central to our work, and we remain firmly dedicated to advancing tribal education, promoting student success, and supporting Haskell’s role as a national center for higher education,” the BIE statement continued.
June 18 will be Arpan’s last day, according to his email.
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— Lawrence Times reporters Maya Hodison, Cuyler Dunn and Mackenzie Clark contributed to this article.
This post is by the Lawrence Times news team.
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