Update Sept. 16, 3:33 p.m.: This article has been updated to reflect additional information from the University.
Dean of the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School Douglas A. Shackelford will step down from his position, he announced in an email sent to Kenan-Flagler faculty, staff and students Friday morning. Shackelford has been serving as dean since 2014, and Monday, Sept. 19 will be his last day in the role.
Shackelford's retirement comes weeks after Angelica Rose Brown, a former UNC Kenan-Flager graduate student, filed a federal lawsuit against the University, three business school professors and the UNC Board of Governors alleging race discrimination.
Shackelford is a UNC alumnus who joined the faculty in 1990. Before serving as dean, Shackelford was the senior associate dean for academic affairs between 2003 and 2007 and associate dean of the Master of Accounting Program between 1998 and 2002. He also founded the UNC Tax Center in 2001.
"I have run as hard as I could for as long as I could," Shackelford said in a letter included in the email. "I can’t continue at the pace this School deserves. I regret that I didn’t anticipate things better. I could tell that I was not recovering from long weeks as quickly as I had in the past and I was unduly frustrated at times, but I failed to foresee this timing."
In a video to faculty and students — also included in the email — Shackelford said Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz will soon name an interim dean.
In a campus-wide email Friday, the University said that it will name an interim dean early next week, while launching a national search for Shackelford's successor. His tenure as dean, the University said, "leaves the (business) school in a position of strength."
"Serving as Dean of UNC Kenan-Flagler has been the greatest honor of my life, but I have decided the time is right for me to step down," Shackelford said.
This is a developing story. Check back here for updates.
