Former Chicago Public Schools head Paul Vallas has been named to an interim administrator post at Chicago State University. Vallas was one of four trustees appointed to the board in January by Gov. Bruce Rauner. He resigned earlier this month to pursue the administrative position.
Vallas ran a losing campaign for Illinois governor after heading Chicago schools from 1995 to 2001. He later ran the public schools in Philadelphia and Bridgeport, Connecticut. Gov. Pat Quinn picked him to be his running mate in his losing bid for re-election in 2014.
Chicago State has been plagued by financial, academic and leadership issues. Enrollment has fallen by half since 2010, and hundreds of employees were laid off last year amid a financial crisis brought on in part by Illinois' budget impasse.
The university's board of trustees also named arts and sciences dean Rachel Lindsey interim president.
