USC announced that Marshall School of Business Dean Geoffrey Garrett will step down in August, days before faculty were scheduled to vote July 1 on whether to hold a no-confidence vote. The change ends his second five-year term, which began after USC extended his leadership earlier, despite mounting internal criticism. The dispute surfaced publicly this spring, including a letter signed by 52 Marshall faculty members warning the school was on a “downward trajectory.” Professors cited enrollment declines, concerns about proposed doctoral program cuts, slipping rankings, and what they described as an administrative concentration of decision-making authority. Students also raised parallel complaints, including shrinking class sizes, reduced programming, declining morale, and what they characterized as a growing disconnect between student priorities and administrative decisions. USC said Garrett will move into a new role as Special Advisor to the President for Global Strategy and Engagement, reframing his responsibilities as the leadership transition approaches.