Back in April, the University of Wisconsin came under scrutiny due to allegations that the school was hiding millions of dollars from the state.

Yesterday, UW System President Kevin Reilly announced that he will step down at the end of 2013.

Jessica Vanegeren of The Capital Times reports that Wisconsin’s Republican controlled legislature is pleased with the decision.

Republicans say Reilly’s departure is chance for UW System to rebuild lost trust

It’s a new opportunity for the UW System to restore its relationship with lawmakers, students and the public.

That’s how top Republican lawmakers responded to Tuesday’s announcement by UW System President Kevin Reilly that he will be stepping down from his post at the end of the year.

“I guess I’ll be optimistic and say that I hope the next president will have a better connection with the legislature,” said Rep. Steve Nass, R-Marinette, chair of the Assembly Colleges and Universities Committee. “Kevin’s departure is an opportunity to rebuild trust in the university system.”

Come January, Reilly will be splitting his time teaching within the UW System (the exact campus was not specified) and working part-time as the presidential adviser for leadership with the American Council on Education, which represents the interests of presidents of accredited, degree-granting institutions.

Reilly, 63, didn’t provide a specific reason for his departure, only saying in a statement the “leadership development programs at the American Council on Education are a genuinely exciting new opportunity for me.”

The rocky relationship between Reilly and the legislature and Gov. Scott Walker’s administration garnered its fair share of public attention earlier this year when Reilly had to explain at a public hearing a payroll error that resulted in nearly $33 million in benefit over-payments to university employees.