ORLANDO, Fla. — The University of Central Florida's Board of Trustees agreed to accept President Dale Whittaker's resignation offer Thursday, despite calls from students, alumni and faculty to keep Whittaker on.

The board meeting was packed Thursday, and public comment, which normally lasts 15 minutes, lasted for 90 minutes, and included in-person and phone comments.

But in the end, a majority of board members said Whittaker's resignation was necessary to move the school forward and minimize damage from the misuse of funds scandal.

Whittaker's resignation will take place in the next 48 hours.

Thad Seymour, UCF's chief innovation officer, will serve as short-term interim president of the university until the board of trustees can appoint a longer-term interim president, which must be approved by the Florida Board of Governors.

The interim president will serve until a permanent president can be found. 

UCF Trustees: Resignation Allows UCF to Move Forward

Whittaker tendered his resignation in the wake of an investigation into the university's misuse of funds.

The issues stem from the spending of $85 million used for building construction, such as Trevor Colbourn Hall, or allocated for other campus construction projects.

Instead of coming from a capital funds budget, a three-month, independent investigation determined that the money should have come from an education and general funds budget.

The university took a series of corrective actions, such as terminating four senior leaders in Administration and Finance.

More recently, Board of Trustees Chairman Marcos Marchena stepped down; last week, he resigned from the board.

Whittaker said his resignation is the most "significant step" he could take in restoring a healthy relationship between the university and state.

But it was a controversial decision, nonetheless. 

“Good luck finding a replacement that loves students, that loves academics and loves UCF as much as Dale Whittaker,” John Euliano, vice president of the UCF Foundation, said during the meeting.

Students and faculty in particular asked the board not to accept the resignation. Whittaker joined as a provost in 2014, and in his short time as president he became known as someone who frequently communed with students on campus, in public, to find out what they were thinking.

“A great president, a great man and a great leader,” said student Sierra Middleton.

Whittaker's wife and daughter also testified before the board, pleading with them to keep Whittaker on.

“The last couple of weeks have been a pure nightmare,” said Mary Whittaker, the outgoing president’s wife.

Whittaker says her family has gotten threats at home in the middle of the night.

“I can only imagine how high Dale and UCF could have soared, if only he had been unshackled from the chains of the ghosts of administrations past,” said Whittaker.

But the board decided it was in the best interest of students to make a change.

“It’s a tragedy for UCF that we’re losing him, but his personal sacrifice to subordinate himself to this institution are a credit to him and his character,” said Robert Garvy, chairman of UCF’s Board to Trustees.

For some, Whittaker is a casualty of a culture that tried to cover up any problems at UCF and resisted any transparency.

Among them was Charles Greene, attorney for four UCF officials who were recently fired in the course of the investigation. Greene said his clients were sacrificial lambs to cover-up any true blame. 

“If you accept his resignation, then the healing process can really begin,” Greene said.

Keeping the Legislature at Bay

In addition to his letter of resignation, the president sent another note to the Board of Trustees on Wednesday that focused on the relationship between UCF and the Florida Legislature.

It outlined specific terms for the governor, Board of Governors and the Legislature to take, such as "restoring key UCF initiatives that have been suspended during the investigation."

These include allowing UCF to remodel its engineering building at a cost of $20 million and create a $40 million fund for student scholarships.

Speaking in the Villages on Wednesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis addressed the controversy at UCF.

"I think the Legislature was right to be proactive and to defend the taxpayer because we want to make sure that this money is spent well," DeSantis said. "I look forward to making sure that UCF gets back on track with some of the issues that they have had."