PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- The President of the University of Southern Maine is leaving her job, but says she was not pushed out. Dr. Selma Botman says she suggested a different job for herself within the University system, and the Chancellor agreed.

But it also ends a sometimes stormy relationship between Botman and the USM campus.

President Botman survived a "no confidence " vote by the USM faculty in May. There was also bad publicity for USM over pay raises Botman gave to some staff members.

Botman told reporters this afternoon she went to the Chancellor after the end of the school year in May and suggested the new job: Special Assistant to the Chancellor for Global Education. She will be paid the same $203,000 salary she receives now as President. Botman insists it was all her idea, no pressure to resign, and Chancellor James Page agreed.

Page told NEWS CENTER "we tried to determine how to best move (USM) forward on a variety of fronts...and as part of that (Botman) came to the conclusion that to move forward on all those fronts a change of leadership might be required. "

The Chancellor says Botman's new position, dealing with attracting more international students, is urgently needed within the University system. And he says her dollar salary will be covered by savings from other parts of the budget.

As for the future of USM, he has named President Theo Kalikow of the University of Maine at Farmington to be the new president of USM. Kalikow has been at Farmington for a number of years.

NEWS CENTER