In his letter of resignation, University of Illinois trustee Lawrence Eppley writes that this is a “trying moment” for the leadership of the university.

“While I cannot speak on behalf of my fellow trustees, I can speak to the importance of our duty as a member of the board. As the ultimate body of governance and leadership of this University, the trustees must help maintain the confidence of our shareholders, who in this case are the people of Illinois. Just as in the corporate world, shareholders’ lack of confidence in an organization justifies effecting changes.

“While the members of the board have dedicated themselves to the mission of the University, it is clear to me that we must now do our part to help the University get past this situation. It is our fundamental obligation to begin the process that will put this episode behind us and allow the University to reestablish its focus and achieve even greater success in the future.

“The public’s confidence in the University must be restored, and one way to begin to restore that confidence is to make a clean start.”

He goes on to suggest the rest of the board step aside and perhaps even some campus administrators, who he does not name.

Click here to read the full letter.

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