Reggie Robinson, president and CEO of the Kansas Board of Regents, is stepping down from that position and has accepted a new post at Washburn University.

At the end of the academic year, Robinson will become professor of law and director of the Center for Law and Government at Washburn. He was appointed to his position with the regents in 2002.

Robinson is a Lawrence resident who previously served as a Kansas University associate professor of law and chief of staff to then-Chancellor Robert Hemenway. He has also worked in the U.S. Department of Justice and was selected in 1993 as a White House Fellow.

He received a bachelor’s degree from KU in 1980 and a KU law degree in 1987.

The state’s higher education system is still facing a tight budget situation, and the regents are in the middle of a number of issues, with board members potentially voting on a strategic vision for colleges and universities next week.

Robinson said he hasn’t yet had much time to reflect on his time with the regents.

“I’m looking forward to the opportunity with great anticipation,” he said of the job at Washburn. “But we still have a lot of work to do before I leave.”

Robinson, a former Kansas University professor of law, said he missed the opportunity to directly help students in the classroom.

“I’ve been away from that over the course of my tenure in this job,” he said.

In a statement, Jill Docking, regents chairwoman, said that the regents’ loss would be Washburn’s gain.

“The state’s public higher education system has certainly benefited from Reggie’s leadership and vision over the past seven years,” Docking said. “He has worked tirelessly to unify all 32 of the state’s public higher education institutions, and his efforts have resulted in a strong and vibrant system that all Kansans can be proud of.”