Chancellor Steve Angle is stepping down from his role at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, the school announced Tuesday.
Angle, who has served as chancellor for the past 11 years, will transition from his leadership role to join the faculty beginning Jan. 1.
In a letter sent to the campus community, Angle said it had been his honor and privilege to serve as UTC's chancellor.
"The most enjoyable part of my job has been working with students, seeing their success and helping them to achieve their goals and aspirations," Angle said in the announcement. "I look forward to working closely with students and continuing to be a vital part of our Mocs community."
(READ MORE: UTC welcomes its largest student body in school history)
JAy Blackman, the vice chancellor of communications and marketing, said UTC is moving forward at a time when a lot of institutions of higher education are not. That's due to Angle's leadership and the initiatives that he has put in place, Blackman said.
"It's clear that he loves UTC," Blackman said by phone. "He definitely puts students first. I think that's one thing that you can see easily with the way he interacts around campus and made sure that he's involved with the students throughout their career here."
Under Angle's leadership, UTC welcomed its largest student body in school history this fall, oversaw 84 facilities projects and was awarded its first governor's chair in quantum information science and engineering.
Angle was a tremendous supporter of athletics, said Blackman, who has worked for the university since 2008, largely in roles in the athletics department.
"It was all part of student-athletes are students first," Blackman said. "He saw it as an opportunity to support students. ... He saw athletics as the front porch of the university. He saw the advantage that a strong athletics program can bring a university."
Angle was also a big reason why the new Wolford Family Athletic Complex was completed, Blackman said. Angle made it a priority, Blackman said, and because of that, it got done and will have a "generational impact on the athletics program."
(READ MORE: Chancellor says UTC is 'on the move' at annual State of the University address)
UT System President Randy Boyd will announce an interim chancellor for UTC in the coming weeks. A national search for Angle's successor is set to begin in January, according to a news release.
"Steve has led UTC through a remarkable period of growth and transformation," Boyd said in a statement. "Under his leadership, UTC has reached new levels of excellence and community impact, from record-breaking enrollment to cutting-edge research and significant campus development. His dedication to the students, faculty and Chattanooga community has set a lasting foundation for continued success."
Prior to coming to UTC in 2013, Angle was a senior vice president at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. He'd previously also worked as a chemistry professor, a researcher and a provost.
Contact Shannon Coan at scoan@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6396.