As University of North Texas President Gretchen Bataille walked the campus she has helped shape Wednesday afternoon, she was stopped by supporters, who patted her on the back, disappointment etched on their faces.

Denton Record-Chronicle/Al Key

University of North Texas President Gretchen Bataille stands in her office Wednesday.

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Ever since Bataille abruptly resigned Feb. 10 for undisclosed reasons, there’s been an outpouring of support, she said.

But questions still surround her resignation, which takes effect Sunday.

Bataille was unaware she would abruptly resign or that there were any issues with her performance until the discussion was brought up in a Feb. 7 meeting she had with UNT system Chancellor Lee Jackson, she said.

Prior to that meeting, Bataille had received favorable job reviews and sizable bonuses since coming to the university.

It was a regularly scheduled meeting, which the two usually had every other Monday, she said, but Jackson moved that one to a Sunday.

The two were to discuss the upcoming quarterly UNT Board of Regents meeting. But the agenda changed to her resignation, she said.

Bataille still won’t say why she resigned.

“What happened was not of my doing, and for answers you would need to talk to the Board of Regents or the chancellor about that — but it was not of my choosing,” Bataille said.

She said she will not seek another university administration position.

“I gave everything to this place,” Bataille said. “UNT, for me, was a wonderful experience. It was the place I intended to retire from.”

The public should be concerned, she said, responding to growing rumors from the community. She said it was an unusual resignation from a public university.

Jackson was unavailable for comment late Wednesday afternoon, but while addressing a Faculty Senate meeting last week, he alluded to communication concerns between the two.

Denton Record-Chronicle/David Minton

University of North Texas President Gretchen Bataille attends a basketball game on campus recently.

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Bataille, who has worked as a vice president in the University of North Carolina system, said university systems should trust their campus presidents and have a clear strategic plan, especially as more campuses are developed.

Adding to speculation is the apparent discrepancy between the dates of when Bataille resigned and when Phil Diebel, who starts as interim president on Monday, was first approached to fill her shoes.

Diebel said Feb. 12 that he was first approached with the position of interim president on about Feb. 4 — about a week prior to Bataille resigning.

In an interview Wednesday, Diebel said it was inappropriate to comment on that timeline.

“I wasn’t the one that made that decision, so I can’t tell you. … I’m not positive that’s the date, but it’s somewhere around there. It’s all kind of a blur right now,” Diebel said.

Despite the controversy, during Bataille’s three-and-a-half-year tenure she rallied faculty, students and staff behind UNT becoming a national research institution.

Putting UNT on the road to top-tier research university status is one of the accomplishments Bataille is most proud of, she said, along with the Emerald Eagle Scholars program, which helps UNT enroll a diverse student body.

Bataille also is proud of growth at Discovery Park and the contributions made with community partnerships, she said.

“If you pull together the accomplishments, like building arts, research and athletics, we’ve really been building a complete national university,” she said. “We’ve become closer to a tier-one university, and I’m disappointed I won’t be here to see it.”

The fate of UNT becoming a recognized research institution rests on the interim president’s shoulders and if the university can carry on the vision, she said.

Bataille said she’s already spoken with Diebel about the university’s mission and he’s committed to her that he’d carry it forward.

Diebel is the former vice president for finance and worked with Bataille for one year before he retired.

Bataille couldn’t elaborate on the education research she may conduct during the 2010-11 school year, but she said it will likely center on higher education policy, which she has concentrated on during the second half of her career. Her research likely will include tuition policies, state funding and federal support to ensure quality education for students, she said.

Under Bataille’s separation agreement, she will be paid $150,000 for the research. She will be paid $723,000 for the remainder of her contract, which runs through August 2011, and up to $20,000 in legal fees.

Since Bataille has been president, UNT has grown to become a very different university than it had been in recent history, said Provost Wendy Wilkins.

“There’s a huge potential at UNT — with a fabulous faculty, fabulous students and a great opportunity in the region — and she was able to capitalize on that,” Wilkins said.

CANDACE CARLISLE can be reached at 940-566-6889. Her e-mail is ccarlisle@dentonrc.com .