Chancellor from the University of Illinois Resigns After Scandal

After months of feeling the pressure from an admission that politically-connected applicants were accepted over more deserving would-be University of Illinois students, Chancellor Richard Herman resigned yesterday. Herman called his time at the school an honor in his resignation letter. He also said in the letter, "Ours is a great institution with its brilliant and hardworking faculty and staff, and its smart and ambitious students, and I plan to continue to contribute to ensuring the bright future of the University of Illinois. Thank you for the honor to serve the University. I have enjoyed every minute, in fact, every nanosecond."

Herman will leave the post of chancellor, which saw him earning $400,000 per year, but will remain on as a tenured math professor and continue to earn $244,000 per year. The Faculty Senate at the school called specifically for Herman to step down, and also called for the University’s president, B. Joseph White, to leave his post. White plans to leave in December. University Board Chairman Christopher Kennedy noted that the replacement for Herman will have to place a strong emphasis on hiring good faculty with a background in science and research. Said Kennedy, "Richard had a sense of that, which was evident in areas where he put a lot of focus, like the Institute for Genomic Biology. The more you talk about Richard, the more impressive he is. It’ll be a challenge to find somebody."

Herman was found to have been deeply involved in admitting politically-connected students applying to the Urbana-Champaign campus over more qualified applicants. Said Herman, "God knows I erred and have been marred and bloodied. I make a humble request: Give me the opportunity to return to the arena – our arena – in pursuit of our worthy cause."