Bill Kincaid named acting chancellor at the University of Arkansas

Arkansas – Bill Kincaid has been named acting chancellor at the University of Arkansas for the next few weeks, System President Dr. Donald Bobbitt in a statement said.

The university is in search for the best person to serve as chancellor for the next academic year. While the officials manage to find the best fit for the position, Bill Kincaid, who is managing associate general counsel at the university, will serve as acting chancellor for the next few weeks.

Prior to joining the University of Arkansas, Kincaid worked in Washington, D.C. with the U.S. Department of Education and the White House Domestic Policy Council.  Earlier in his career, Kincaid served as a law clerk to the Honorable Richard S. Arnold, who at that time was Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, according to the University of Arkansas website.

A native of Fayetteville, Kincaid is a 1988 honors graduate of Yale University. He obtained his law degree in 1993 from the University of Virginia. He also holds a master’s in public affairs from Princeton University through a joint program.

You can read the full letter to the University of Arkansas community below:

Dear U of A Community,

As president of the University of Arkansas System for the past 10 years, I have seen many of our institutions go through changes in leadership. Throughout each of them, one thing has remained constant – the resiliency of our students, faculty and staff to continue their important work toward our mission of excellence in education, research and service to the people of Arkansas. While I know the decision by Chancellor Steinmetz to resign from his position last week came as a surprise to many, the University of Arkansas remains in a strong position and is prepared for a bright future.

I am committed to working with the Board of Trustees, the campus community and all supporters of the university in pursuing a path to finding the next chancellor of the University of Arkansas. I will take some time to visit with university stakeholders to identify the best person to lead the campus through the next academic year and beyond. In the meantime, I have asked Bill Kincaid, managing associate general counsel, to serve as acting chancellor of the institution for the next few weeks. Bill has been a part of the senior leadership team of the campus and an essential member of our Office of General Counsel for more than 20 years. I am confident in Bill’s ability to work with the leadership team and senior staff to ensure the campus operates at its best during this period. He will have the full support of the UA System in executing his duties as acting chancellor.

While times of change can be unsettling, I challenge us all to view this transition as an opportunity to maximize the potential of our flagship campus to reach new heights as the state’s leading research university. As we emerge from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and identify a new chancellor, we have a unique chance to build an even better university to serve our students and this state for years to come. From the stellar academic work of our students in the classroom and the vital scholarship conducted by our faculty, to the truly outstanding performance of our men’s and women’s athletics teams during the last year, we have much to be proud of as we approach this transition.

I want to thank each of you for being Razorbacks and for doing your part to make the University of Arkansas a truly special place. I look forward to hearing more from you in the weeks ahead.