Krislov to Succeed Embattled President at Bard

Marvin Krislov, president of Pace University since 2017, will be the next president of Bard College, Bard’s Board of Trustees announced Friday. Krislov, approved unanimously by the board, will take office in July for a three-year term. Acting Bard President Jonathan Becker will stay on until then, leading the college through a messy transition away from longtime president Leon Botstein. 

Following months of controversy over his ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Botstein retired as president over the summer and resigned from all of his remaining Bard roles this month amid new allegations. In a statement about the new appointment, Bard called Botstein’s 51-year tenure “transformative” and said Krislov arrives “at a pivotal moment of growth and expansion.” Before Pace, Krislov was president of Oberlin College.

Krislov is “the ideal leader to guide the College forward at a pivotal moment in the institution’s 166-year history,” Brandon Weber, Bard’s board chair, said in the statement. “Building upon Bard’s legacy of innovation and excellence, Krislov is committed to honoring and advancing the institution’s mission as a private college serving the public good.”

Prior to Pace and Oberlin, Krislov was vice president and general counsel at the University of Michigan. The Pace Press student newspaper previously reported that Krislov had notified the university he would not seek a third five-year term.