College president resigns after over 700 students test positive for coronavirus

New York, New York, United States of America

The president of a college in New York has resigned in view of the number of coronavirus cases reported among the students within the university since the beginning of the semester.

In a statement announcing the new interim president on Thursday, Oneonta's State University of New York (SUNY) Chancellor Jim Malatras said that Dr. Barbara Jean Morris had "transitioned from her position as president" and that she wanted to "pursue other opportunities."

According to CNN, Morris has resigned.

SUNY Oneonta has reported 712 student cases of Covid-19 since residence halls opened on August 17. The rising number of virus cases prompted SUNY Oneonta to switch from in-person learning to an entirely online format in late August.

There have been 1,167 positive cases reported from 61 different campuses.

The resignation of the sitting president of SUNY Oneonta comes after the university decided not to test students or quarantine them on arrival.

Soon after, the University saw an uptick in positive results. And it had got too late for the management to react to the virus, which had by then spread.

SUNY Oneonta has about 6,700 students enrolled, according to its website. A search for someone to fill Morris' role permanently is expected to begin soon.