Texas A&M-Corpus Christi President to Step Down

Flavius Killebrew, the president and CEO of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, announced Wednesday he is stepping down.

Killebrew said in his state of the university address that he plans to retire effective Dec. 31. He has served as president since 2005 and worked for the Texas A&M system for 43 years.

In a statement, Killebrew said he and his wife "feel truly blessed to have led such a dynamic group of faculty and staff and have been amazed at the caliber and character of our students." The school, he added, "is definitely a rare pearl for South Texas."

Texas A&M System Chancellor John Sharp said he had hoped Killebrew would serve through the 2017 legislative session but that he respects Killebrew's decision. Sharp added that he will make an announcement about Killebrew's successor "at a later date."

Read more of the Tribune's higher education coverage:

• Rice University, SMU, Baylor University and Dallas Baptist University all climbed in the U.S. News and World Report college rankings this year. All of the state's top public universities fell. 
• Prairie View lost 67-0 to Texas A&M University's football team, but the defeat helped pay for the school's athletic programs. What will those schools do if those payouts go away?