The Oklahoma State University Board of Regents says it has accepted the resignation of President Kayse Shrum.

The move appeared to come suddenly, as there had been no previous, public mention of any plans by Shrum to resign, and there have been no statements from either Shrum or the Board of Regents that explain the reason for her resignation.

The resignation was effective Monday, February 3rd, the OSU Board of Regents said, but was only publicly announced on Wednesday.

The news website NonDoc reports the Board of Regents on Friday imposed a funding and hiring freeze on the OSU Innovation Foundation, where Shrum was the chairperson of the foundation’s board of directors, but so far, it’s unclear if there’s any connection between that move by the regents and Schrum’s sudden resignation.

OSU Provost Jeanette Mendez is slated to serve as interim OSU President.

Below is the official statement from the OSU Board of Regents:

“We extend our deepest gratitude to Dr. Shrum for her dedicated leadership, unwavering commitment to students, and significant contributions to the OSU System.

Dr. Shrum has led with passion and vision, championing key initiatives in academics, research and innovation while advancing OSU’s land-grant mission. During her tenure, Oklahoma State University has experienced record enrollment, student retention rates, research funding, and philanthropic support setting the stage for a bright future. From the outset of her presidency, she was thrust into a critical role of navigating the disruption within the Big 12 Conference. Dr. Shrum worked tirelessly to help stabilize the league and protect OSU’s athletic programs, ensuring the university remained competitive on the national stage.

Under her leadership, OSU has strengthened its impact in healthcare and STEM education while expanding access to higher education – ensuring that students of all backgrounds can find opportunities and a home at OSU.

“The Board will begin the process of identifying the next leader for Oklahoma State University and will provide updates as that process moves forward. In the meantime, we are committed to ensuring a smooth transition and maintaining the momentum of OSU’s mission to serve the state of Oklahoma and beyond.

We thank Dr. Shrum for her service and wish her the very best in her future endeavors.”