UC Berkeley head resigns after criticism over response to sexual harassment
Source: The Guardian
UC Berkeley head resigns after criticism over response to sexual harassment
Chancellor Nicholas Dirks is the latest high-profile administrator
to step down at the elite college, which has been at the center
of several scandals
Sam Levin in San Francisco
Wednesday 17 August 2016 02.25 BST
Nicholas Dirks, chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley announced his resignation on Tuesday, the latest high-profile administrator to step down at the elite college that has been plagued by repeated sexual harassment scandals.
Dirks has faced backlash for his administrations handling of harassment cases involving powerful faculty at the states most prestigious public university. He wrote in a campus-wide letter that it was a 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.
Dirks briefly addressed the ongoing sexual misconduct controversies in his note, saying that during his time as chancellor, we have begun to address growing concerns around sexual assault, violence, and harassment on campus.
In a short statement, UC president Janet Napolitano said she accepted the resignation with deep appreciation for Chancellor Dirkss efforts on behalf of this great institution. She said the university would immediately form a committee to search for his successor and that Dirks would remain on the job until his replacement takes over.
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Read more:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/aug/16/uc-berkeley-chancellor-resigns-nicholas-dirks