DePaul president Robert Manuel’s contract was extended for three years in a unanimous decision by the Board of Trustees announced on Tuesday, Jan. 27. His contract was originally set to expire in 2028 and is now pushed to June 30, 2031. According to Michael Scudder, the chair of DePaul’s Board of Trustees, the board has confidence in Manuel’s leadership and “the university’s strategic trajectory” in today’s higher education atmosphere. Manuel became the university’s chief executive in August 2022 following the departure of DePaul’s 12th president, A. Gabriel Esteban, who served five years as the university’s first lay president. “If DePaul has not done so historically, these times and pressures surely demand a change in course to match how deans are reviewed and reappointed.”Staff Council president Scott Ozaroski also acknowledged Manuel’s leadership as a guiding post for DePaul during higher education uncertainty.