University of Oklahoma President David Boren, a former Democratic governor and U.S. senator, says he will resign as head of the state's flagship university at the end of the current school year.
Boren announced his plan Wednesday to a standing-room-only crowd of several hundred students, faculty and staff inside OU's performing arts center.
Boren says he will retire June 30, but agreed to stay longer if a successor has not been selected by that time.
He has served as OU's president since 1994, when he stepped down from his U.S. Senate post to accept the position.
Boren has taught a freshman-level political science course every year and has taken particular pride in his dedication to students and fostering a sense of community on the campus.