The University of Missouri named an interim president Thursday, following the resignation of former president Tim Wolfe earlier this week after the University came under fire for its handling of a series of racially charged incidents on campus.
The newly appointed interim president, Michael Middleton, was picked by the school governing board. He is a recently retired black law professor, who also served as deputy chancellor emeritus. He has promised incidents of racial harassment will be dealt with quickly, according to USA Today and students and advocacy groups have already started spreading their excitement on social media.
Middleton also previously served as vice provost for minority affairs and faculty development as well as helping found the Legion of Black Collegians while studying at Mizzou as a student.
"I am honored to accept the appointment as interim president of the UM System, and lead our state's premiere university during this extraordinary time," Middleton said, reports NBC News. "The time has come for us to acknowledge and address our daunting challenges, and return to our relentless adherence to the University of Missouri's mission to discover, disseminate, preserve and apply knowledge."
The school has drawn widespread national media attention since football team members refused to attend official activities as long as Wolfe was still president. There were also sit-ins and other protests by students, who were speaking out against incidents of racial harassment on campus, including the drawing of a swastika composed of feces in a bathroom dorm.
Two students were also arrested Wednesday for threatening to kill black students on social media, reports USA Today.