PORTLAND, Maine (AP) The president of the University of Southern Maine is going to step down at the end of the academic year.

Glenn Cummings, who has led the university with campuses in Portland and Gorham since 2015, announced the decision on Tuesday.

Cummings, 60, is a former state legislator who took over the university at a time when it was struggling financially. Enrollment and fundraising at the university have grown under his watch, the Portland Press Herald reported.

Cummings has asked to go back to a faculty position as a professor of public policy and educational leadership.

The Board of Trustees is expected to conduct a nationwide search for his successor. In addition to Portland and Gorham campuses, USM also operates the Lewiston-Auburn College.