Veteran academic leader Carol L. Folt was formally installed Friday as the 12th president of the University of Southern California, taking the reins of the institution snared in unfolding scandals involving allegations of sex abuse, drug use and bribery.

Folt was presented a medallion representing the authority of the office during a ceremony and said in her inaugural address that there was a need for urgent and decisive action on “serious issues” that have yet to be resolved.

“These are problems that have harmed our reputation and have taken a real toll on the Trojan community,” she said, adding that she was aware of the anxiety that many people are feeling.

“They’re worried that unless resolved quickly these issues could undo much that has been built over the recent years and taint those unconnected to them,” she said. “I want to assure you that we will continue to tackle these problems until they are corrected.”

Folt took over from interim President Wanda Austin, who stepped in after former President C.L. Max Nikias resigned last summer.

Nikias left amid reports that USC ignored widespread complaints of sexual misconduct by a longtime campus gynecologist who now faces criminal charges and an investigation into a medical school dean accused of smoking methamphetamine with a woman who overdosed.

USC subsequently emerged as one of the high-profile universities across the nation snared in an admissions scandal in which dozens of wealthy parents have been accused of paying bribes to rig their children’s SAT and ACT scores or get them admitted as recruited athletes to elite schools.

Defendants still contesting the allegations include “Full House” actress Lori Loughlin and her fashion designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli, who are accused of paying to get their two daughters into USC as fake athletes on the crew team.

Folt previously led the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and had leadership roles at Dartmouth College.

Related Stories
‹
In a Tumultuous Period, Guskiewicz To Be Installed as UNC Chancellor
Kevin Guskiewicz will officially be installed on Sunday as the 12th chancellor of UNC, a formal ceremony to establish him in the position amid a tumultuous chapter for the university that’s continued since the resignation of his predecessor. Guskiewicz will be sworn into the chancellorship as part of a two-day celebration of University Day, which […]
Group of UNC Alumni Say Pro-Confederate Group Had No Standing in Silent Sam Lawsuit
A group of UNC alumni and donors filed court documents into the lawsuit between the UNC System and a pro-Confederate group on Wednesday, arguing there was no standing for the lawsuit that led to a $2.5 million settlement. 88 alumni of the university, including 14 members of the UNC Black Pioneers, entered a brief to […]
Top Stories of 2019: Carol Folt Steps Down as UNC Chancellor
Chapelboro.com is re-publishing some of the top stories that impacted our community in 2019. These were stories that affected Chapel Hill, Carrboro and the rest of our local area. In January, UNC-Chapel Hill chancellor Carol Folt announced that she would step down from her position with the university. Folt also authorized the removal of the base […]
Conservation Groups Sue UNC, Allege Air Pollution Violations
Two conservation groups filed a federal lawsuit against UNC on Tuesday, accusing the university of having violated the Clear Air Act. The Center for Biological Diversity and the Sierra Club contend UNC repeatedly violates federal law by not following pollution control requirements at a plant used to power the school. The two non-profits, which filed […]
Hometown Hero: Carol Folt
This week’s Hometown Hero, presented by Hendrick Subaru Southpoint, is former UNC – Chapel Hill Chancellor Carol Folt. “Stepping down as the chancellor of this great university and wonderful community feels much like parting from a gathering of family, friends and neighbors,” Folt wrote in a farewell letter to the university on her final day. “I love […]
Chapel Hill, Carrboro Mayors Discuss Former UNC Chancellor Carol Folt's Impact
January 31 marked Carol Folt’s last day as chancellor of UNC-Chapel Hill, bringing an end to her tenure which lasted for nearly six years for the state’s flagship public university. Chapel Hill Mayor Pam Hemminger attended Folt’s goodbye party Wednesday night where Folt was honored for all her accomplishments with the university, but Hemminger said […]
One on One: Just Like Samson
Just like Samson, pulling down Baal’s temple Chapel Hill is still stunned. Folks here woke up on Tuesday last week to see the base of the Silent Sam monument gone, thanks to the surprising and decisive action of UNC-CH Chancellor Carol Folt. She ordered removal of the base at the same time she announced her […]
Q&A with UNC Chancellor Carol Folt
WCHL news director Blake Hodge spoke with UNC Chancellor Carol Folt on Tuesday about her decision to step down, the current state of campus security and the impact that she made on the community during her time in Chapel Hill. Q: You made the announcement, two announcements, on Monday that you would be stepping down […]
UNC Board of Governors Accepts Chancellor Carol Folt's Resignation, Effective January 31
The UNC-System Board of Governors has accepted the resignation of UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Carol Folt, effective January 31. She had previously planned to stay through the end of the academic term in May. UNC-System interim president Bill Roper will be authorized to name an interim chancellor following Folt’s departure. This comes a day after Folt’s […]
Roy Williams on Carol Folt's Resignation: 'She's Just Done an Admirable Job'
On Monday, UNC Chancellor Carol Folt announced her resignation in a letter to the student body of the university. In the letter, she said it was the “privilege of [her] life to serve as chancellor of this great university” and authorized UNC to remove the remainder of the Silent Sam monument at McCorkle Place. Speaking […]
›