President William R. Greiner will trade in his lavish Capen Hall office overlooking the university for a room full of students in O'Brian Hall.
Greiner announced plans Monday to step down from his presidential position, which he has held since 1991, and become a full-time professor.
"I'm not going anywhere," Greiner said. "I'll be a member of the faculty."
Presently, Greiner plans to teach in the School of Law, where he served prior to his numerous administrative positions within UB.
"I hope that what I've learned and what I know, it will be of interest to some parts of the university," Greiner said.
Though the announcement might seem abrupt, he said it has been part of his plan all along.
"I always said I would not retire as president," Greiner said. "And when I retire - when I finally retire from this place - it will be as professor."
After 23 years at UB, Greiner said he felt it was time to move on to the next step in his life.
"That's a long time," he said. "That's a good run, so let's do what I said I was going to do."
Greiner's resignation will prompt a nation-wide search for the UB's next president, despite speculation that university insiders could be in line for the job. Greiner said rumors about who his successor would be are, "to say the least, premature and inappropriate."
"I don't think speculation like that does anybody any good, whatsoever," said Greiner.
Students interviewed by The Spectrum said they were unsure about who should fill the office of president, because they did not know who the candidates will be.
Todd Pede, a junior economics major, said he could not pick Greiner or any other university figure out of a lineup, and to him, it will not matter who takes over the position.
"I'm going to show up at UB, whether Bill Clinton is president," said Pede.
Lindsay Catone, a sophomore biology major, said Greiner made a good president because of his visibility to the student body. Catone, a member of the University Student Alumni Board, painted Greiner's face at the homecoming football game and said he was always available to talk to students.
"I just saw him walking through the hallway yesterday," said Stephanie Spencer, a junior double major in psychology and sociology.
Greiner said there would be no interim president between himself and his successor, but if SUNY Chancellor Robert L. King requests he remain president longer, he would happily do so.
"You may be surprised to find me still in the president's office next fall," Greiner said.
Greiner, the 13th president of the university, announced his resignation on the 13th day of January. His 13th term as president begins March 1.
"I love the number 13, as you know," he said, chuckling.
During his tenure, Greiner ushered in Division I-A sports, five housing complexes and the new Center for the Arts and Math buildings.
He also has seen advancements in UB's bioinformatics complex, which he said should be on the priority list of the new president.
While Greiner's presidency has been mostly smooth, some of the darker presidential moments include the faculty hiring freeze and Faculty Senate "No Confidence" vote, which occurred during the 1999-2000 school year.
Greiner said he has seen the university move forward in the last 12 years, and while there is room for the university to grow, he leaves the Office of the President with little regret.
"There are few regrets - maybe a little sadness, but few regrets," he said.
