KNOXVILLE — The University of Tennessee announced Tuesday morning that Jimmy Cheek, the chancellor of the system’s Knoxville campus, is stepping down and returning to a faculty position.
Cheek has been UT’s chancellor since Feb. 1, 2009, and he will remain in the position until his replacement is picked.
The search for that replacement, according to UT president Joe DiPietro, will begin shortly after the university’s board of trustees meets later this month, and DiPietro hopes it will be concluded by next spring.
“Chancellor Cheek and I have had several conversations related to this decision over the past few months, and I am very appreciative of his leadership in moving our flagship campus through a seven-year period of unprecedented growth and forward momentum,” DiPietro said in a statement.
“Leading a campus with thousands of employees, students and stakeholders is a demanding role that comes with numerous challenges, but it also has many rewards.