The president of Eastern Oregon University will step down at the end of this month, after three years in office. Khosrow L. Fatemi, who received a no-confidence vote from faculty members in April, said the university needed new leadership, The Oregonian reported today.

Eastern Oregon has seen its enrollment drop and revenues fall during Mr. Fatemi’s tenure, a tough time for all regional colleges in the state. In addition, Mr. Fatemi found it tough to connect with the community, with other leaders in eastern Oregon, and with potential students, George Pernsteiner, chancellor of the Oregon University System, told the newspaper.

Mr. Pernsteiner, in a written statement, praised Mr. Fatemi’s effort to “manage through a number of difficult issues at Eastern during three tough budget years for higher education in Oregon, while also accomplishing new milestones for the institution. But there is mutual recognition that the problems faced by EOU right now need a different set of management and administrative approaches than those used in the past.”

Mr. Fatemi, who is 63, will work for the system through May 2009 as a special assistant to Mr. Pernsteiner. —Audrey Williams June