University President William Cale will stay on as President Emeritus through Dec. 31, following a resolution passed by the Board of Trustees at their March 17 meeting.

Cale’s resignation will take effect July 1. In his role as President Emeritus, he will maintain his current benefits and compensation package, according to the resolution presented by Rodney Howard, president pro tempore of the Board.

Because he will maintain full compensation, he is expected to make approximately $125,454 over the six-month period. Cale is currently paid $20,909 each month for his position, according to the university spending website.

As the university moves forward with several large-scale projects, the resolution reads it is important to implement a transition “that preserves UNA’s forward momentum while transferring institutional knowledge and stakeholder confidence to a new administration.”

The resolution is much needed, Howard said, and will ensure the proper transition as the university seeks a new presidential candidate.

“We want to make sure to the public that this search is transparent and honest,” Howard said.

The search for Cale’s successor begins immediately, with the formation of a 16-person search committee taking place throughout the remainder of March and April, Howard said.  

The committee will be comprised of faculty, staff, alumni and community members, as well as two student representatives from the Student Government Association, according to the Presidential Search Process Guidelines for UNA. Three trustees will also be appointed to the committee by the rest of the Board.

Once the search committee has been formed and approved, a formal timeline will be agreed upon and distributed. According to the current tentative timeline, candidates for the position will be interviewed in August or September, with finalists visiting campus in October or November. Howard said he hopes to see a decision made in December.

“We hope to name the new president by December, but let me emphasize that the timeline is still very tentative,” Howard said.

Cale said he has every intention of continuing to work with the university however he is needed and said during his President’s Report that he wants this process to be “the best possible kind of separation.”

Following his announcement of resignation, Cale said reports began to circulate concerning his health or the health of his wife, B.J. He addressed these rumors with the Board, saying no outside influences led to his decision of retirement.

“Let me say for the record that my health is very good, and my wife’s health is very good,” Cale said during his report. “If there are ways that I can continue to work with UNA and the Board during a period of transition then I am certainly open to that possibility.”

The Board also welcomed Trustee William Trapp, who fills the seat left vacant by former trustee Richard Cater. Trapp is a Shoals native and said he is looking forward to his appointment on the Board because of the impact it could potentially have on the community.

“This is a really high-quality area,” Trapp said. “I can’t imagine living here without UNA, and I wanted to be part of this. The longer you’re here, the more you appreciate what UNA does for the community.”