Indian American quits as Chairman of Illinois varsity Board

CHICAGO: Indian-American chairman of the University of Illinois Board of Trustees Niranjan Shah has resigned from his post amid investigation into his role in an admission scandal at the university.

In a letter to Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, Shah said he is "not in public service for self-aggrandizement and therefore have no interest in a protracted process regarding my role" in the admissions scandal that has plagued the university.

"When I became a Trustee at U of I in 2003, many of the stakeholders in the University of Illinois system - trustees, university administrators and staff, legislators and others - operated under a set of rules and norms that seemed appropriate at the time.

"Today, I recognize that those rules are changing with the times and I think that change is a very good thing," Shah said in a statement.

The India-born businessman said his resignation would come into effect in 90 days or as soon as his replacement is found.

Quinn accepted Shah's resignation and said search for a replacement would begin immediately. "I thank (Shah) for his years of service and efforts to promote diversity at the University of Illinois," Quinn said.

-PTI