Fourteen years ago when Robert M. McChesney accepted the presidency of the University of Montevallo, it quickly became apparent that leading the small, liberal arts institution was more than a job to the Illinois native.

To McChesney, UM&8217;s presidency was the fulfillment of years of study, hard work and dreams that culminated in a personal eagerness to accept the challenge.

And accept it he did, leading Montevallo for 14 years, the second longest tenure in UM history. On Aug. 1, 2006, McChesney will retire.

&8220;In the life of any organization, it comes time for the changing of the guard,&8221; said McChesney, who came to Montevallo in 1991 from the University of Central Arkansas. He first came to UM as provost/vice president of academic affairs and became president in 1992.

&8220;I&8217;m having mixed emotions about retirement. I still look forward to it,&8221; said McChesney. &8220;But I worry a large piece will be missing in my life when I don&8217;t have to go to work everyday.&8221;

A student&8217;s president

McChesney has become legendary for spending his lunch breaks in UM&8217;s cafeteria greeting student and even sitting down to have a meal with them.

&8220;Dr. McChesney is a very accessible, student-oriented president. It&8217;s amazing how many students he knows by name,&8221; said Tina Strozier, Montevallo&8217;s SGA president. &8220;You can always catch him watching an athletic game or attending a student production, he was very supportive of students.&8221;

Strozier recalls McChesney visiting her in the hospital after a minor car accident as an example of McChesney&8217;s concern for students

&8220;His visit shows he cares about the person, the individual instead of just one student body.&8221;

Outside of his contact with students, McChesney said there are many aspects of his administration in which he takes great pride. Among them are the construction of the Student Activity Center, no audit findings for 14 years and renovations of Carmichael Library, Comer Hall and Anna Irving Dining Hall.

McChesney further lists the rising class grade-point averages and ACT scores among incoming freshman, diversification of faculty and the school&8217;s Tier-One ranking in &8220;U.S. News & World Report.&8221;

Asked what he would like to have people remember about his administration, McChesney said, &8220;I would like people to say that my 14 years at UM moved the university to a higher level of academic excellence, even in the fast of austere and severely limiting budgetary conditions, and that the foundation was laid to move Montevallo to national recognition academically,&8221; he said.

Farewell and thank you

McChesney has received numerous resolutions and commendations recognizing his accomplishments at Montevallo.

The Student Government Association presented the president with a resolution on behalf of all UM students during a ceremony in April. The document praised McChesney for always maintaining an open-door policy to students, &8220;allowing all students to have a voice in the university&8217;s affairs.&8221;

In addition, the SGA recognized the president for adhering to &8220;the policy that bigger is not better with respect to class sizes and the size of the university as a whole.&8221;

He also received resolutions from the Alabama legislature, the Shelby County Commission, the UM Foundation, the National Alumni Association and the university&8217;s board of trustees.

The Montevallo Chamber of Commerce and the city of Montevallo will host a dinner in his honor this summer. The city also passed a resolution at its city council meeting Monday thanking McChesney for &8220;his dedicated and tireless service at the University of Montevallo and in the community his which he has resided since 1991.&8221;

When he retires next month, the McChesney and wife Laraine will relocate to Alabaster. They plan to spend more time with their family, five children, 12 grandchildren and two aged mothers. He will also work for and speak on state constitutional reform, a cause he is very passionate about.

Next month, McChesney will past Montevallo&8217;s helm to Philip C. Williams of Methodist College.

&8220;Serving as president of Montevallo,&8221; McChesney said, &8220;has been the most rewarding and fulfilling part of my life but as we leave, we are confident that the future is in good hands.&8221;

Cynthia Shackelford contributed to this article