Essex County College President Edythe Abdullah leaving for new job after three controversial years

By Kelly Heyboer/ The Star-Ledger

NEWARK — Essex County College President Edythe Abdullah announced today she will step down at the end of the month, ending a three-year tenure in which she often clashed with faculty while trying to reform one of the state’s largest two-year colleges.

Abdullah, the school’s first female president, said she is leaving for a new professional opportunity. But she declined to disclose the nature of the job.

“As I make the difficult yet exciting decision to take on a new professional venture, I am proud to have become a part of the Essex County College community, and to have been able to institute a list of notable accomplishments during my tenure,” said Abdullah, 59.

More>>