The University of Southern California has turned its interim captain into the permanent one, naming Beong‑Soo Kim its 13th president on Wednesday after a bruising fiscal year. The Board of Trustees voted unanimously to elevate Kim, a former federal prosecutor and USC general counsel, and he takes the job immediately, succeeding Carol Folt. His promotion caps a seven‑month stint as interim president that featured sweeping budget cuts and layoffs across campus.
Board Backs Interim, Calls Him 'Next Generation'
Suzanne Nora Johnson, chair of USC’s Board of Trustees, said the unanimous vote “reflects what we learned throughout the search process: widespread confidence in Beong’s leadership,” calling him a “next generation” president, according to USC Today. Kim, who has been serving as interim since July 1, 2025, thanked the board and said he was “deeply honored” by the appointment, the university's announcement added.
Austerity And Layoffs Defined His Interim
Kim’s time as interim president has been all about tightening the belt. USC moved to close a multihundred‑million dollar deficit and pushed through widespread job reductions that university filings and reporting put at more than 900, and by some counts over 1,000, positions across the academic and health systems. Those measures, along with a hiring freeze, were central to plans to stabilize USC’s finances, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.
Campus Reaction: Calls For More Transparency
The hard line on cuts did not land quietly. Some faculty and staff said the reductions were painful and that leadership could have done a better job communicating with the campus, according to reporting from USC students and local outlets. Student newspaper coverage and staff interviews described anxiety over advising and program cuts, with campus advocates urging clearer fiscal transparency and more faculty involvement in budgeting decisions, per the Daily Trojan.
Kim's Priorities: AI, Governance And Rebuilding Trust
USC's announcement says Kim has tried to pair austerity with modernization and governance changes during his interim term. He launched a Presidential Open Dialogue Project and an AI Strategy Committee and brought deans more directly into the President's Cabinet to coordinate research and programs. The university also highlighted his role in convening an AI summit and related initiatives that, according to USC Today, aim to position USC as a leader in emerging technology policy and research.
What Comes Next
Kim steps into the permanent role with a crowded financial to‑do list and a campus still raw from months of reorganization. His early moves suggest he will continue to prioritize fiscal repair while trying to rebuild trust with faculty and staff.
The job also carries broader political stakes. Kim rebuffed the Trump administration's “education compact” last fall, an episode that underscored the tightrope university leaders now walk between federal pressure and academic freedom, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. Carol Folt announced her retirement in November 2024, a decision covered in coverage of her retirement announcement.
