North Dakota State University President Joseph Chapman may be leaving his job before the end of the year.
When Chapman turned in his resignation last week, he said it would be effective Jan. 2. But on Friday, the Board of Higher Education hired Richard Hanson as interim president and asked him to start Dec. 1.
University system chancellor William Goetz says he's spoken "in generalities'' to Chapman about whether he'd be willing to leave when Hanson takes over as interim president.
Goetz says when Hanson gets to Fargo, he wants it understood that Hanson "is the president, period.'' Goetz says he intends to talk about the issue with Chapman again early next week.
NDSU spokeswoman Najla Amundson says Chapman wants to do what's necessary to have a smooth transition. She says he's willing to work with Goetz.
