EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — The president of Northwestern University will step down in August 2022, ending a tenure that saw calls for his resignation over his handling racial tensions on campus, the university announced Thursday.

A university spokeswoman says Morton Schapiro’s departure date was agreed upon several years ago. She says Schapiro will use his remaining time at Northwestern to facilitate the transition.

Trustees Chairman J. Landis Martin, praised Schapiro’s leadership, and said a search committee will be formed to identify his successor.

Schapiro, 67, arrived at Northwestern in 2009 from Williams College in Massachusetts. He was hired for five-year term but agreed to extend his stay several times.

Schapiro in October was criticized by faculty and faced calls to resign from students after he issued a harsh rebuke of students protesting against university police and declined to disband the force. Schapiro, who is Jewish, said some students chanted an anti-Semitic figure of speech outside his home.

Students said they felt Schapiro failed to engage in dialogue about police use of force on campus and the impact it has on Black students. Afterward, Schapiro participated in virtual conversations with students and created a community safety oversight board.