UC Berkeley’s Chancellor Dirks resigns in wake of leadership controversies

He’d only been here three years

Following a series of controversies UC Berkeley’s Chancellor Nicholas Dirks has announced his resignation.

The college head resigned in the midst of what has been a saga of bad days including budget issues and criticism of the university’s leniency with faculty sexual harassment claims.

Dirks, in an address to the university, said:

“Over the summer 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”


The 10th UC Berkeley Chancellor was often a familiar and goofy face to be seen around campus, his resignation after three years in office has been met with acceptance. Many criticized his administrative decisions, such as recent staff cut backs.

Accepting the resignation, the president of the UC system, Janet Napolitano, said:

“I do so with deep appreciation for Chancellor Dirks’s 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, and Chancellor Dirks intends to stay on until a new successor is named and in place.

“We seek nothing less than an individual of the highest caliber to lead Berkeley, widely and correctly regarded as the finest public research university in the world. UC Berkeley, and the University of California, deserve nothing less.”

Many would agree that the lack of leadership and response to faculty who are charged with sexual harassment was the most prominent event of non-action of his term.

He will remain in office until a successor is named, who will hopefully learn from their predecessor’s mistakes.

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