The University will bid farewell to its top attorney this May.
University General Counsel Elsa Cole announced yesterday that she is stepping down at the request of President Lee Bollinger, who is in the process of selecting his own executive management team.
"I think she's done an excellent job over the past years that she's been in the position," Bollinger said. "There's been a number of highly difficult legal questions and her service has been remarkable."
Cole's resignation marks the first step in Bollinger's quest to construct his own administrative core team since taking office two weeks ago.
"I don't think there will be many changes, but there will be some," Bollinger said. "It's inevitable as we go from one decade to another under a new president."
Cole said she planned to resign when Bollinger arrived so he could design a new team.
"This was a decision I made after the president came into office to allow him to choose his attorney counsel," Cole said. "I fully expected that the president would want to put together the team he would like.
"I truly have enjoyed working with the people at Michigan and want to support President Bollinger in every possible way in the transition to the new general counsel," she said, adding that she is uncertain about her future plans.
Cole, who was appointed eight years ago by former President James Duderstadt, will officially step down May 16.
"She's done a very good job and she's led our legal team through some very tough times," Duderstadt said. "She is very highly regarded among university attorneys in the higher ed community."
As the University's top attorney, Cole had to contend with a variety of legal cases, including a lawsuit against the University during its yearlong presidential search. Three local newspapers sued the University last year, accusing the regents of violating the state's Open Meetings Act.
Deputy General Counsel John Ketelhut said working alongside Cole was a pleasure.
"I know she has cared about the University and its people and has always tried to do her best for them in performing legal work," Ketelhut said.
A search team will be formed in the next two to four weeks to find a successor. Bollinger said he is looking for someone who is "an outstanding attorney and who can also work comfortably and well in the academic setting."
"I think this is a position that is extremely desirable to attorneys and we could have someone identified within one to six months," he said.
Regent Daniel Horning (R-Grand Haven) said he would not be surprised to see more shifts in the administrative team as Bollinger settles into office.
"I wouldn't be surprised because you have a new chief executive who is in the process of formulating a new management team," Horning said. "As a regent, I'm going to be supportive of that right of Lee's.
"Some changes will occur now, some will occur later," he added.
Before joining the University in 1989, Cole was an assistant attorney for the state of Washington, assigned to represent the University of Washington. During her time in Ann Arbor, Cole has been nationally recognized as an authority on higher education law and has spoken and published frequently on employment and student issues.
Cole said her proudest achievement as general counsel was piecing together a solid team of attorneys to represent the University.
"I put together a team that believes that service comes first and is able to facilitate what the University wants to be done," she said. "I anticipate whoever comes in (next) will want to work with this team."