Margaret Spellings officially confirmed her departure from the position of UNC System president at a news conference following a UNC Board of Governors meeting Friday.

Spellings was expected to remain in this position for five years, but she has made the decision to leave in her third due to personal reasons. Spellings said during the meeting that she began the conversation of leaving weeks ago with the Board of Governors Chair, Harry Smith Jr.

“I went to Harry about a few weeks ago, and we started to have this conversation,” Spellings said at the news conference. “This is my instigation, and I so appreciate and respect the support that the board is showing for me and this timing. I hope I have left the place better than I have found it.”

According to WRAL, an agreement made by the UNC Board of Governors during the Friday meeting allows Spelling to continue receiving her salary of $777,500 a year until she officially leaves her position in March. Upon her leaving, she will receive $500,000 and $35,000 in moving expenses.

Effective March 1, 2019, the UNC System will move into an interim process. According to Smith, the Board does not want to rush choosing a new president, so they plan to appoint an interim president during the search for a long-term replacement.

“I think we all reflect on our professional and personal lives, and the discernment of all of that,” Spellings said. “I’ve just concluded that my three-year anniversary in March was really the right time for me. I’ve given it my all, made a lot of contributions together with this board and the people that work in this university and this system office, and it’s the right time for me.”

According the Board of Governors, in Spellings’ time as president, the UNC System approved initiatives such as implementing fixed tuition through NC Promise and the Connect NC Bond which gave $2 billion to the 17 schools in the system to put toward infrastructure.

Spellings said that she plans to move back to her home state of Texas to work in public service.