The president of Elon University says he's stepping down. But Leo Lambert adds that he will stay at the helm until the next president is ready.
Lambert has been president since 1999 and during that time led the university through a major planning effort. And now, with another one looming, Lambert says in a video address that it's a good time to make a transition at the top.
“It feels right to me that the formation of Elon's next strategic plan should take place under the leadership of the new president, who will be here to see that vision through to fruition,” he says.
Lambert says he will stay on until a new president is ready to take over. The university is planning for that to happen by Jan. 1. Lambert says he will then take a sabbatical year and return to serve as a professor and president emeritus.
Elon officials say that during Lambert's presidency, enrollment has grown by almost 70 percent and the number of full-time faculty has more than doubled. Elon is ranked the number one regional university in the South by U.S. News & World Report, up from number 16 when Lambert took office.
He also led the effort to establish the Elon University School of Law in Greensboro.