Sandra Gautt, Kansas University’s vice provost for faculty development, said Friday she will step down from her position and turn to a full-time faculty position in the department of special education. She’ll make the move in August.

Gautt said she is making the change for personal reasons. Her husband, Prentice Gautt, died unexpectedly in March 2005.

“I gave myself permission to wait a year before I made any major decisions,” Gautt said Friday. She said several months ago that she started thinking about what she wants to do with her new life.

“I don’t have an answer to that yet,” she said.

Gautt said it’s coincidence that she is leaving as KU brings on new Provost Richard Lariviere.

“It is strictly a personal decision for me that has been in place and planning in my head long before we knew that Lariviere would be provost,” she said.

Gautt, a University of Missouri-Columbia graduate, served as special assistant to KU Chancellor Gene Budig in 1984-85 while on leave from Mizzou. She returned to KU in 1989 as assistant vice chancellor for academic affairs. She became associate vice chancellor in 1993, assistant provost in 1996 and vice provost in 2002.

Gautt oversees faculty mentoring, instructional development, faculty evaluation and promotion and tenure processes for KU’s Lawrence campus. She established the Center for Teaching Excellence and converted media services into the Instructional Development and Support department.

“I regret that Sandra and I will not have the opportunity to work closely together in the provost’s office but I respect her decision,” Lariviere said in a prepared statement.