UC Berkeley chancellor to resign following widespread criticism by faculty
UC Berkeley Chancellor Nicholas Dirks announced Tuesday he would resign, a move that follows months of criticism by some faculty and others over his handling of sexual misconduct cases, a major budget deficit and other campus issues.
Dirks, who took the reins of the nation’s leading public research university in 2013, did not spell out his reasons for stepping down but said he would stay until a successor was in place. A distinguished professor of history and anthropology specializing in South Asia studies, Dirks said he would return to teaching and research at Berkeley.
“I have come to the personal decision that the time is right for me to step aside and allow someone else to take up the financial and institutional challenges ahead of us,” he said in a letter to the campus community. “We need fresh approaches and new ideas as Berkeley forges a path to maintain its excellence along with its full commitment to a public mission.”
UC President Janet Napolitano accepted his resignation, expressed appreciation for his efforts and said a committee would be formed immediately to launch a global search for a new chancellor.
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