Administrators in the University of Illinois system said they are enthusiastic about the academic future of the Chicago, Springfield and Urbana-Champaign campuses following the resignation of University President B. Joseph White Sept. 23.
White’s decision came a day before the University’s Board of Trustees held an ad-hoc meeting to discuss the future of White and Chancellor Richard Herman as University administrators.
In a press release sent Sept. 23, Board of Trustees Chairman Chris Kennedy formally accepted White’s resignation, which will be effective Dec. 31. However, according to White’s contract, he will remain involved in teaching and fundraising at the University.
The University of Illinois at Chicago responded to the news with a series of two alerts to its students, the first of which was a press release from University spokesman Tom Hardy.
The statement included parts of Kennedy’s thoughts about the resignation. In the statement, Hardy said White’s action was “motivated by serving the University’s best interests and is not intended to create any presumption of wrongdoing.”
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Another e–mail was sent to students containing a statement from UIC Chancellor Paula Allen-Meares.
“I remain optimistic for the future as we move UIC ahead in our goal to be the premier public urban research institution in the nation,” Allen-Meares said in the e-mail.
Mark Rosati, associate chancellor for public affairs at UIC, said he is also optimistic about what is happening at the school’s campus.
The University of Illinois at Springfield sent an e-mail to students and faculty with Hardy’s press release, as well as a comment from UIS Chancellor Richard D. Ringeisen.
“I want to thank President White for his efforts on behalf of all three campuses,” Ringeisen said in the e–mail. “I have appreciated the working relationship he has had with UIS, and have personally enjoyed working with him, and will miss that. But I respect his decision and wish him the best in the future.”
Derek Schnapp, director of public relations at UIS, said he felt the e-mail was the best way of notifying the students and faculty about the situation involving White.
Some students at the other campuses said the issue was not publicized very much on campus.
“We don’t really hear about the scandal as much,” Aminaa Siddiq, sophomore in LAS at UIC, said. “But it’s good to see the other U of I (Urbana-Champaign) cracking down on its administration finally.”
