Portland State President Wim Wiewel to Retire in 2017

PORTLAND, Ore. ― Wim Wiewel announced he’s stepping down as president of Portland State University.

Wiewel has been president since 2008, a time in which PSU has tried to shift away from its reputation as a commuter school.

The university’s enrollment jumped to nearly 30,000 students on Wiewel’s watch. He was also one of the leaders in the movement to create independent boards at the state’s seven public universities and end the Oregon University System.

The 66-year-old will stay on the job until the end of the 2016-17 academic year. He then plans to take a sabbatical and return as a part-time professor.