University Of California, Berkeley Chancellor Resigns Post

(AP) - The University of California, Berkeley chancellor has resigned his post after critics alleged he was too lenient when handling sexual harassment cases involving high-profile faculty members.

University of California President Janet Napolitano said she accepted UC Berkeley Chancellor Nicholas Dirk's resignation Monday.

Napolitano said Dirks plans to stay on until a new successor is named and in place. She says a committee will be immediately formed to begin a global search for a new chancellor.

In a message to the campus community, Dirks says he plans to become a full-time professor at the university.

He has been on the job three years. In one case, a faculty member received only a temporary pay cut and orders to undergo counseling as punishment following an investigation that substantiated claims that he repeatedly kissed and touched a subordinate.