George Washington University President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg announced his resignation Tuesday, the GW Hatchet reported Tuesday night. He will leave his post in July of 2007 when his contract expires.
Trachtenberg, who has been at GW for 19 years, has substantially improved the university, bringing in $500 million in donations and overseeing a major expansion of the campus in Foggy Bottom.
"After almost two decades at the helm, it is time for me to contribute to this great university in a different way and to work toward some personal goals that are impossible to achieve with the 24/7 demands of the presidency," Trachtenberg said in a statement sent to the Hatchet.
GW Board Chairman Charles Manatt commented on Trachtenberg's departure in a statement.
"Steve has not only firmly established the university as a premier institution of higher education, he has strategically charted the university's course for the future," he said.
According to David Taylor, chief of staff for Interim President Neil Kerwin, AU is unsure of the timeline for picking its new president, but said Trachtenberg's resignation will most likely not affect the candidates for AU president.
"We need to establish our own timeline first," Taylor said. "We will formalize that in the weeks to come."
Taylor also cited differences between the two schools.
"GW is larger and a downtown school," Taylor said. "AU, for instance, has an accredited School of Communication and GW doesn't."
When GW starts the search for their president, AU might be finished with their search, according to Taylor.
Staff Writer Kate Oczypok contributed to this article.
