His SAN FRANCISCO (Diya TV) — After months of criticism growing on campus about his leadership, UC Berkeley Chancellor Nicholas Dirks announced Tuesday his resignation from his post, though the exact date of his departure remains unknown.
In the past year, Berkeley was rocked by accusations from students against several prominent faculty members, including Vice Chancellor for Research Graham Fleming, law school Dean Sujit Choudhry and astronomy professor Geoffrey Marcy.
Janet Napolitano, president of the University of California system, released a short statement confirming Dirks’ decision to depart. She said she accepted his resignation “with deep appreciation for Chancellor Dirks’ efforts on behalf of this great institution, its students, faculty, staff, alumni and the larger Berkeley community.
“We will immediately form a committee to begin a global search for the new Chancellor,” Napolitano said.
Dirks will stay on until the search for his successor is complete. He issued an email of his own to faculty and staff of the prestigious university.
“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.
“While we have made important progress … there remains much work, and many difficult decisions, ahead of us,” his statement read. “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 in the current funding environment.”
He has faced growing scrutiny for the handling of matters of sexual harassment involving high-profile faculty members, and criticism from faculty and staff for budgetary decisions. Dirks informed the UC president’s office Monday of his plans to resign his $531,939-a-year post and return to teaching.
His decision to leave coincides with the moment new students are scheduled to arrive on campus for the beginning of the fall semester this weekend. Additionally, it comes just one week after UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi resigned amid allegations that she had misused her office, with Napolitano saying she “had exercised poor judgment and violated multiple university policies.”
