 Niranjan Shah said in a letter to Gov. Pat Quinn that he decided to
step down after members of a state commission investigating the
admissions practices said they believed the trustees should resign.
Shah is the second trustee to do so, after former chairman Lawrence
Eppley quit last week.
"I am not in public service for self-aggrandizement and therefore
have no interest in a protracted process regarding my role," Shah
wrote. "My interest is solely in the vitality of the University of
Illinois."
The school's flagship campus at Champaign-Urbana has been at the
center of a storm since the Chicago Tribune reported in May that the
school maintained a list of politically connected students, known as
Category I. The newspaper said some underqualified members of the
list were admitted under pressure from former Gov. Rod Blagojevich,
university trustees and others.
Quinn said Monday that he accepted Shah's resignation, which is
effective in 90 days, or sooner if a successor is in place. He said
the search for a successor would begin immediately.
Shah had been accused of pushing to admit certain applicants and
arranging for his future son-in-law to work for the school. Shah has
denied trying to admit relatives to the school or being pressured by
public officials to support certain applicants.
[to top of second column] |
Chancellor Richard Herman and university President B. Joseph White
did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Quinn appointed the Illinois Admissions Review Commission after
the Category I list became public. Commission member Bernard Judge
of Chicago said he was glad Shah resigned.
"I think he did the university a favor by resigning now," Judge
said. "It will end any further need to seek his resignation."
The panel's final report is due this week.
___
On the Net:
Illinois Admissions Review Commission:
http://admissionsreview.illinois.gov/
[Associated Press;
By CARYN ROUSSEAU]
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or
redistributed.
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