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RALEIGH -- A day after UNC Chancellor Holden Thorp announced he will step down at the end of the school year people in the Tar Heel community are still reacting to the news.

The news came as a shock to students, faculty, and apparently even some members of the Board of Trustees.

Chancellor Thorp met with the Board of Governors on Friday and everything appeared to be OK. But on Sunday he announced to university officials that he would step down from his position on June 30 of next year.

Thorp told News 14 Carolina that some of the Board of Trustees did and are asking him to reconsider that choice. And, some faculty at the university are too.

But others said Thorp is the man on top and eventually someone has to answer for the numerous scandals that have plagued the university in recent years.

Now, the search begins for Chapel Hill's new chancellor.

"This is a great university. I think a lot of wonderful people will be interested in it," said Thorp. "I think if you look at the researching funding and the quality of the faculty and the students, there are so many people around the country that would trade places with us, not just to be chancellor, but to be a faculty member, to be a student. So of course there will be challenges. These are difficult times for public universities but the next person has a great opportunity."

University President Tom Ross will work with the Board of Trustees to look for the next chancellor. They will create a search committee made up of trustees, students, faculty, alumni and the community.

Once that choice is made, the final decision will be made by the Board of Governors. They hope to have the next chancellor in place by June 30.

But if that doesn't happen, Thorp said he will stay in the position until someone's ready to fill his shoes.