UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi Resigns

DAVIS (CBS SF) -- Embattled University of California, Davis chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi has announced that she will resign Tuesday.

UC President Janet Napolitano accepted Linda Katehi's resignation, following the conclusion of an independent investigation.

Napolitano said in a statement that the investigation found numerous instances where Katehi was not candid with her office, exercised poor judgment and violated university policies.

In a resignation letter dated Tuesday, Katehi said investigators confirmed she did not violate UC policies or laws as to material allegations.

"It is true that the past few months have been very difficult for the campus and my family the two things I have loved the most," Katehi said in the statement (.pdf). "As a result, at this time, and for the benefit of our campus and my family, I have decided to resign my position as Chancellor and to assume my role as a tenured faculty member with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and with the Interdisciplinary Program of Gender, Sexuality and Women Studies."

Katehi was placed on leave by the Napolitano's office in April, after it was revealed the school hired consultants to improve its image following the pepper-spraying of protesters by police in 2011.

The chancellor was also under investigation for alleged improprieties surrounding the hiring of three of her relatives.

Katehi was also criticized for being on the board of DeVry University, a for-profit school that has been sued by the Federal Trade Commission for alleged deceptive advertising. The chancellor resigned her seat from the board earlier this year.

Ralph J. Hextor was named acting chancellor following Napolitano's action.

"Today's news ends a period of uncertainty at UC Davis. The resolution announced by President Napolitano permits us to focus all our efforts on moving the campus forward so that we can serve California, the nation and the world ever more effectively," Hexter said.

Napolitano said the university will form a search committee that would conduct a national search for a new chancellor. Hexter will continue his role leading the campus until the search is complete.

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