by Tim Monzingo of North Texas Daily , Morgan Walker of North Texas Daily

Bataille sent a letter to the UNT community expressing her appreciation to the university and listing the extensive amount of objectives that UNT has accomplished.

Gretchen Bataille announced that she will be stepping down as president of UNT effective February 28.

The Board of Regents will meet Friday to consider Bataille’s resignation as well as the processes for the appointment of an interim president and the search for a new president.

“She has been an amazing president and has had a wonderful vision for the university,” said Karen Weiler, chairwoman of the Faculty Senate. “She was very faculty-, staff- and student-oriented, and she will be greatly missed.”

Bataille was named UNT president on August 14, 2006, and was inaugurated as UNT’s first female president on April 13, 2007.

She also served as senior vice president of Academic Affairs for the University of North Carolina.

Dakota Carter, the Student Government Association president, said he would speak against Bataille’s removal at the 8 a.m. meeting Friday on the UNT Dallas campus at 7300 Houston School Road, room 262.

He said he wants to see students come to the meeting to show their support.

“I want the students to get on the agenda to speak on this issue,” he said. “UNT students are within their rights to speak at the meeting.”

Carter added that Bataille has worked to make UNT’s campus more student-friendly.

“For her to leave with two week’s notice seems fishy to me,” Carter said.

Those who wish to speak may e-mail the board secretary, Julia Boyce, at Julia.Boyce@unt.edu to get a spot on the agenda.

Wendy Wilkins, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, said she believes Bataille has moved the university in the right direction and that it should continue in that direction.

“I’ve been terrifically happy working for UNT under her leadership, and I think all of my vice president colleagues have been,” Wilkins said. “I am sad. She is my friend as well as my boss.”

Trevor Neal, a music education junior, waited outside Bataille’s office Wednesday to hear more news about her resignation.

“I really wanted to tell her good luck with whatever she plans to do,” Neal said.

Neal said he met with Bataille several times, including the times he sang at the Emerald Eagle Ball, an event held to honor students in the Emerald Eagle Scholars program.

“She’s done fantastic things to the university, especially considering the shape it was in before she came here,” Neal said.

Bataille sent a letter to the UNT community expressing her appreciation to the university and listing the extensive amount of objectives that UNT has accomplished.

“We have had many achievements from increased enrollment and improved student success of a diverse student body to expanding the research funding over 60 percent in the past two years,” Bataille wrote in the e-mail.

Bataille had ambitions for UNT, set higher expectations for everyone associated with the university and brought a good deal of energy to her job as president, UNT Chancellor Lee Jackson said in a press release.

Brandon Morton, a biology senior and intern for the Office of Sustainability, said his concern is with sustainability because all of the new buildings on campus are LEED certified, something that’s been part of Bataille’s commitment.

He also encourages students to get involved with the Board of Regents and show their support for Bataille and to make it clear that sustainability and the environment are what UNT’s all about, he said.

“Anybody who cares about the environment at UNT should show concern for the president’s resignation because sustainability is a financial initiative at UNT,” he said.

Shaina Zucker / Editor-in-Chief contributed to this report.