Texas A&M president quits
Published: June 14, 2009 at 10:09 P.M.

COLLEGE STATION, Texas, June 14 (UPI) -- Elsa Murano resigned Sunday as president of Texas A&M University, a day ahead of a regents meeting that was widely expected to address her performance.

The governing board for the school in College Station now is expected to meet Monday to deal with her departure just 17 months after hiring her, the Houston Chronicle reported Sunday.

"Everyone is in a state of great concern," said Ray Bowen, who was president of the school from 1994 to 2002. "It's extremely damaging."

Murano, 49, issued a statement in which she said recent events had been "very taxing" for the entire Aggie family" and that her resignation was in the best interests of the school.

Chancellor Michael McKinney had promoted her selection as president but by the end of her first year his evaluation of her performance was negative. He criticized her decision-making, initiative and her relationship with the regents and himself, the Chronicle said.

Still, McKinney said, he wants Murano to rejoin the faculty.

She was the first woman and the first Hispanic to lead the 132-year-old school, which has 48,000 students.

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/06/14/ ... 245031799/