Editors Note: This story was published in the Fall 2009 semester in review edition.

Because of his involvement in the clout scandal, Richard Herman resigned as Chancellor of the University on Oct. 26, 2009.

Though his resignation has left a void at the top of the chain of command at the University, Herman will continue his role as a leader on campus.

Currently, Herman has been named the Special Assistant to the Interim President. Interim President Stanley Ikenberry said that as his assistant, Herman will advise him on certain issues to ensure that the transition of leadership will be as smooth as possible when Ikenberry takes over presidential duties on Jan. 1, 2010.

As for the future, Herman will remain busy on campus. Ikenberry said that Herman will soon begin work on the I-STEM initiative, which is a program that aims to advance education in science, engineering and mathematics in schools across Illinois.

“I expect to be working to facilitate these (I-STEM’s) goals,” Herman said. “Working with community colleges will be a starting point in this initiative. We will make an effort to increase the number of transfer students to the University and ensure higher graduation rates for underserved minorities.”

While Herman may have a lot on his plate for the next year, his more distant future is more uncertain, he said. Along with being one of five finalists for the position of president at New Mexico State University, Herman said he will take a teaching job at the University sometime down the line.

“I will resume teaching not next year, but the year after that in the College of Education,” he added.

Herman’s transition to the College of Education is natural given his service to higher education as chancellor, said Mary Kalantzis, dean of the College of Education at the University in a Daily Illini report on Oct. 20.

“I think what he’s done in the time that he’s been a chancellor is champion educational reform, from schools right through to higher education and particularly in math science and technology,” Kalantzis said.

Rich Potter, member of the Graduate Employees’ Organization’s strike committee, said Herman’s resignation was good for the University but has not changed the practices of administrators.

“Certainly, Chancellor Richard Herman has done some good things on campus,” he said. “But we want the culture of the top administrators to change. Changing one official for another won’t necessarily change the culture.”

Potter said the University is still seeing the effects of Herman’s policies from when he was chancellor.

“Chancellor Herman was a major champion of what I would consider to be various initiatives to move towards a privatized model of education at the University of Illinois,” Potter said. “I think we’re still seeing the effects of a lot of his policies and initiatives, and it will be interesting to see what direction the new chancellor and president take.”