Northern Arizona University president John Haeger is stepping down, but not right away. The NAU leader will continue in his post for another two years.
John Haeger notified the Board of Regents on Thursday he would be leaving when his contract is up June 30, 2015. He became president in 2001.
Haeger established NAU’s Pledge Program, which locks in tuition for eight semesters for incoming freshmen. Nearly 4,700 first-year students enrolled for the 2013 fall semester, a record number. The overall on-campus population climbed to more than 19,000 students this year.
The Board of Regents says it will announce guidelines for its presidential search later this month, although it won’t begin formally looking for a new president until early next year.
Haeger is 70 years old. He says after his contract ends he plans to take a semester off and return to teaching at NAU.