James E. Rogers, chancellor of the Nevada System of Higher Education, resigned on Sunday after a battle for control of the system’s Board of Regents, according to an Associated Press report. The board’s chairman, Bret Whipple, and another regent, James Dean Leavitt, had criticized Mr. Rogers during a news conference on Friday.

The abrupt resignation follows a series of clashes involving the regents and Mr. Rogers. Mr. Leavitt had raised questions about the chancellor’s appointment last week of a former Congressional candidate as head of government relations at the University of Nevada Health Sciences Center. On Thursday, Mr. Rogers sent a scathing letter to Mr. Whipple demanding that Mr. Leavitt not be elected chairman or vice chairman of the board in June, and threatened to resign if his wishes were not carried out.

Mr. Whipple said on Friday that the chancellor should retract his stance or resign. On Sunday, he said Mr. Rogers had responded by sending the board a letter with two words: “I quit.” Mr. Whipple told the AP he was saddened by that choice. Mr. Rogers could not be reached for comment.

The board will meet on Friday to pick an interim chancellor.