• The Jacksonville University Board of Trustees announced that it reached a contract extension with current president Tim Cost in a move that keeps him at the university through 2027 
• Cost has served in the role since 2013, where he oversaw the establishment of 52 new major fields of study 
• The university additionally announced the establishment of a law and medical school this year
• During his tenure Cost helped to raise more than $121 million for the school

Amid eight presidential departures at the state’s largest universities since 2020, the Jacksonville University (JU) Board of Trustees announced that it agreed to a contract extension with current president Tim Cost to keep him at the institution through 2027.

Serving in the role since 2013, Cost has overseen a rapid transformation at JU that includes the establishment of 52 new major fields of study in the past ten years including engineering, cybersecurity, data science, and robotics, among others.

Cost also helped introduce the JU law school, which opened its doors for the first time in August when it welcomed its inaugural class.

Anticipating accreditation by next year, the College of Law marks JU’s 5th academic department.

“We are ecstatic that President Cost will continue his highly successful tenure here as our chief executive, there is great work well underway, and we look forward to advancing our significant progress in the years ahead,” said Jacksonville University Board Chair Matt Kane.

In late November, JU announced a new partnership under Cost’s leadership with the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM), the nation’s largest medical college and osteopathic academic health system, to establish LECOM at Jacksonville University.

The institution will serve as northeast Florida’s only four-year medical academy.

The Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation received LECOM’s application to open its fifth campus on October 12th. The doctor of osteopathic medicine program at the medical school expects to admit its first class of around 75 students in 2026. The total number of students enrolled is anticipated to rise to over 150 per year in five years.

“This is an outstanding university and an extraordinary time; it’s been an honor to serve here this past decade,” Cost said. “I now look forward to many more years of important work for our students and community, in partnership with our excellent faculty, dedicated staff, and fully engaged Board of Trustees.”

Cost has helped usher in an unprecedented level of success and growth for the university.

Jacksonville University earned its highest placement in the U.S. News & World Report rankings for the fourth consecutive year and is recurringly recognized as a Best Value and Military Friendly school by the publication.

During his tenure, Cost led the effort for the record-setting ASPIRE comprehensive campaign, helping to raise more than $121 million for the school, and has directed more than $100 million in renovations, technology upgrades, and new construction of the Arlington campus.