University President William Cale announced his resignation from his position via email to all faculty and staff members Thursday, March 6.

“I will resign from the Presidency of UNA effective July 1, but I hope to remain active with the university for an additional six months after that as we move through this transition period,” Cale wrote in the email.

Director of Communications and Marketing Terry Pace has worked with Cale in several different roles, including his time as the former interim director of communications in 2007, he said.

“My official statement for the university essentially mirrors my personal one,” Pace said. “He is really the person who is most responsible for pulling me out of my own independent work and projects and back into full-time employment.”

Cale’s management and leadership styles, as well as the way he “carefully considers each situation and listens to others” were all factors that influenced Pace’s decision to return to work under Cale’s supervision, he said.

Board of Trustees members will discuss the timeline and process for hiring a new president during the quarterly board meeting later this month, said Rodney Howard in a university press release. Howard currently serves as the president pro tempore of the Board of Trustees.

“We want to make the search process as transparent and thorough as possible,” Howard said in the press release. “I think we’re probably talking about a period of four to six months or longer. I would say it’s possible that we might be able to make a selection by the second semester of the 2014-15 school year.”

Board members will talk about Cale’s resignation further at the meeting on Monday, March 17 at 11 a.m.

In his email, Cale thanked faculty and staff members for their support during his tenure. He said his hope is that he can continue to assist with ongoing university projects, pending Board of Trustees members’ approval.

“While it is true that I am looking forward to this change, it is equally true that leaving all that has been accomplished and especially all that is in process is very difficult,” Cale said. “I very much look forward, pending approval from our Board, to have the opportunity to continue to focus on a few university projects where I can be helpful.”

Cale has been crucial to furthering each of the components and facets of the university, Pace said.

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with him on so many projects,” Pace said. “He has been the key to all of the pieces of the puzzle that have fit together to make everything better for the University of North Alabama.”