UW President Michael Young Headed For Texas A&M

As KUOW's Sara Lerner reports, President Young says he hasn't officially accepted the offer.

TRANSCRIPT

Michael Young says he hasn't accepted an offer but almost in the same breath, he says:

Young: "I am leaving, I believe, one of the greatest universities in the world and I believe I’m leaving it in very good hands and I believe it's on an extraordinary trajectory."

Young was speaking at a campus event Tuesday.

The chancellor at Texas A&M says Young's transition is official except for a formality in Texas law that requires another vote by Texas A&M's board of regents in 21 days.

Along with the praise Young bestows on the University of Washington, he also says he wishes Washington state would do more to fund higher education.

Young: "I think we've all been clear that Washington would benefit enormously from doing more. The centrality of higher education in terms of stimulating economic development — in terms of unleashing human potential with these young kids — we are near the bottom in state dollars per FTE [full-time equivalent] and I think if there were more funding available, the universities would be able to just do more for the state."

In a statement, University of Washington board of regents chair Bill Ayer says the news comes as a surprise but he wishes Young and his wife well.

Jamala Henderson contributed to this report.