WAYNE--The president of William Paterson University will step down at the end of the 2017-18 school year after serving as head of the state university since 2010.

Kathleen Waldron, who has been at the helm of the university for seven years, announced her retirement on Tuesday, citing her age as one of the reasons for her stepping down.

"I will turn 70 years old in September 2018 and have had the great honor of being an academic administrator for 20 years," Waldron said in a statement released by the school. "The last seven years at William Paterson University have been the best of my career."

The Board of Trustees has begun the search for Waldron's replacement, university officials said Tuesday.

The resignation comes a few months after the school's faculty senate passed a vote of no confidence against the president for failing to bring needed improvements to the school.

But Waldron told NJ Advance Media that her retirement was planned well before the vote was held and that it hasn't influenced her decision.

Waldron took over as president in 2010, when William Paterson, like most public universities, was struggling financially. Her resume boasted more than a decade as in a leadership position as a Citibank executive.

She also had a doctorate degree and had served as president of Baruch College, part of the City University of New York system. Waldron was the first new president at William Paterson in a quarter-century.

When she started, The Star-Ledger reported that Waldron's long-term plans for William Paterson included increasing the size of the student body and offering more online classes.

In its statement, the university credited her with starting the school's first fully online bachelor's degree program. She also oversaw a multimillion-dollar campus expansion and renovations project.

"We have been very lucky to have someone as skilled as Kathy Waldron to be a part of the journey of this institution," said Fred Gruel, chair of the university's Board of Trustees, in a statement. "She established an ambitious agenda for William Paterson University upon her arrival in August 2010."

"Faculty and professional staff members expressed strong feelings that this was the appropriate action to take, especially since President Waldron has consistently failed to meet Board of Trustee enrollment benchmarks, even when they have been lowered by the board," Arlene Holpp Scala, the senate chairwoman said at the time. "This has had a negative effect on student tuition. While the president has made the university more visible, she has failed to improve its reputation."

Holpp Scala said Tuesday that she thinks Waldron's upcoming retirement will benefit both parties.

"I think it's time for a change for William Paterson and for President Waldron," Holpp Scala said.

When the faculty voted earlier this year, they did not call for Waldron's dismissal, but said she needed to improve relationships with educators, NJ Advance Media reported.

Waldron, who will officially step down on June 30, 2018, said she counts improving the student experience as her biggest accomplishment as president of William Paterson.

"It's easy to be remembered for building buildings, but I'm more proud of what we've done for students," she said.

Payton Guion may be reached at PGuion@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @PaytonGuion. Find NJ.com on Facebook.