Former University of Illinois Chancellor Richard Herman says the University of Illinois can now "move forward."
In an interview with The News-Gazette of Champaign, Herman said his resignation last week and acceptance by the trustees "clears the way for the institution to move forward beyond the admissions issue.''
His resignation came after a series of stories by the Chicago Tribune highlighting how politically connected applicants at the school's Urbana-Champaign campus were given preferential acceptance over more qualified students.
"The question really is, can the institution move beyond the issue with either me or President (B. Joseph) White in place? At the end of the day we both decided that wasn't possible,'' Herman said.
White decided last month to leave in December.
Herman's resignation from the $400,000-a-year chancellor's job is effective Monday. The 68-year-old Herman will remain with the central Illinois school as a tenured math professor, the university has said, earning $244,000 a year.
Herman also told the newspaper he thinks there will be transparency in new admissions practices.
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``There is going to be a certain amount of vigilance required,'' Herman said. ``That's sort of built into the next steps. We're going to be providing accountability each year. And any inquiries are going to be logged so they're public record. That'll help us.''
