DETROIT (WXYZ) — The official notice that Wayne State University President Kimberly Andrews Espy resigned was emailed campus-wide just before 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.
A special meeting took place at 5 p.m. where the board formally accepted her resignation and named the law school dean, Richard Bierschbach, as the interim president.
Watch Darren Cunningham's video report in the video player below:
"It doesn't really impact me one way or the other I would say," Aiden Langlois, a college senior told 7 News Detroit.
7 News Detroit spoke with WSU students about Espy's sudden departure, which leaves a vacancy after just two years on the job.
"I think it's important for students because it affects the campus culture and our education," sophomore Arensa Fejzulon said.
Espy, the university's first female president resigned, despite having a five-year contract.
"I'm wondering if something happened, if there was some conflict? Is that why she's resigning? I hope to hear why," senior Chloe Shipman said.
In a letter the Board of Governors emailed to students and staff late Wednesday afternoon, Espy states she's stepping down for personal reasons.
Associate professor Jennifer Sheridan Moss is the president of the Wayne Academic Union, which represents academic staff and faculty.
"From my perspective, the president has not really fit into our campus culture. She has been mostly invisible," Moss explained.
"She has not been particularly good with communicating with the faculty, especially in this past year where the faculty have been under such stress because of cuts in funding and attacks on higher education. We have not heard a lot from the president and we have not felt supported by her."
Moss said the union has tried getting the Board of Governors' attention on a number of issues.
"There has been the issue of the freedom of speech on campus. We had a pro-Palestinian encampment more than a year ago now, which the president had broken up by the police and students were violently arrested and that disturbed a lot of people. Since then, the campus has been under extreme surveillance," she said.
"It's pretty disappointing to see how many millions of dollars have been wasted on the prices of hiring a president, paying a president an exorbitant salary and now having to hire another president. And these executive searches are very, very expensive, and it's just very disruptive not to have permanent leadership in the university."
