UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi Resigns

UPDATE:3:45 p.m.

UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi has resigned her post -effective immediately- according to University of California President Janet Napolitano.

A statement, from the President's office says Katehi resigned after an independent investigation found she had,"exercised poor judgment, not been candid with University leadership, and violated multiple University policies."

In a letter from Katehi to the UC Davis community, she says she was cleared of any misuse of funds or nepotism.

But, regarding the allegation that companies were paid to "scrub" the internet of negative references to her and the school, Katehi  says the investigation found the contracts appeared to be mostly for the purpose of producing positive content.

Melinda Guzman is Katehi's attorney. Guzman says her client had two instances of "miscommunication" with President Napolitano or her office. Guzman says Katehi and Napolitano had "brief" conversations about contracts with companies to produce content for the internet. Guzman says Katehi had little knowledge of the contracts. Napolitano alleges the former chancellor witheld information or lied about her involvement.

In Katehi's letter, she admits the investigation did not completely exonerate her, "regarding the social media contracts, the investigation team felt that I had minimized my knowledge of or role in the contracts and that my statements were “misleading, at best, or untruthful, at worst.”

Guzman also says Katehi informed the president's office in January of the then-chancellor's intention to serve on the board of the for-profit DeVry University and that is the source of the second "miscommunication" between the two.

Guzman says Katehi felt she could serve the university better as a member of the faculty.

"It's clear that there are differences of opinion between she and Janet Napolitano and I think the chancellor -to her credit- recognizes that," Guzman says. She went on to say. "It would be more productive for her to serve along with her colleagues as a member of the academic senate and as a distinguished professor. " 

Katehi will return to her position on the UC Davis faculty, in accordance with the terms of her contract.

She has faculty appointments in Electrical & Computer Engineering and in Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies.

A search for Katehi’s successor will begin immediately.

Ralph Hexter is acting chancellor and will stay on in that capacity

Here is a copy of President Napolitano’s message to the UC Davis Community:

UC Press Statement

Here is a copy of Linda Katehi's letter to the UC Davis Community:

Independent Review of Allegations Related to Chancellor Katehi