Tennessee Board of Regents Chancellor to Retire

Chancellor Charles Manning told the Tennessee Board of Regents today that he will retire as the head of the university system a year from now.

“ I will give the board and Governor Bredesen time to choose the next chancellor and to choose wisely and to have that person on the job when I depart.”

When Manning took over as Chancellor in April of 2000, the Board of Regents was roiled in internal conflict. In a written statement, Governor Phil Bredesen says Manning brought stability and leadership and leaves behind a legacy of accomplishments that will benefit students for years to come.

At today’s meeting, Regents and university presidents called Manning “fair” and said he will be missed.

At the meeting, the board, as expected, approved a 6-percent tuition hike and a 2.2-billion dollar operating budget for the next school year. It did so, after the state cut 33-million dollars from its schools. TBR finance officials say they’re looking at possibly cutting low-performing programs and raising minimum class sizes to meet the budget.