U. of Richmond’s Ayers will step down in 2015

University of Richmond President Edward L. Ayers announced Friday he will step down in June 2015 after he finishes his eighth year as leader of the prestigious private institution in Virginia’s capital.

Ayers, 61, a Civil War historian, has presided at the 4,130-student university since July 2007. Previously he was dean of arts and sciences at the University of Virginia.

The University of Richmond said in a news release that undergraduate applications to the university have risen nearly 50 percent since 2007, while the credentials of entering classes have simultaneously improved. It also said that the share of students at the school who come from low-income families and qualify for federal Pell grants has risen significantly....