In a written statement, former Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling said he was "extremely disappointed" to leave his role as senior fellow at James Madison University following the passage of a new law, which prohibits such a hire by a college.

The school confirmed June 30 was his last day.

Bolling accepted the full-time position last year following his tenure on JMU's Board of Visitors. In

, State Sen. Mark Obenshain drafted legislation to prohibit colleges and universities from hiring a former member of the institution's board of visitors within four years of his or her term.

"I just think that it's inappropriate," the Republican said at the time.

The bill garnered near-unanimous support in Virginia's Senate and House.

In defense of the hire, JMU said Bolling was given a laundry list of responsibilities — including working with the Center for Civic Engagement, reviewing the school's economic development structure and raising money for the university.

"Mr. Bolling has done an outstanding job for the university during the past year," Jonathan Alger, president of JMU, said in a statement. "The university is grateful for his past, present, and future service."

Bolling said he planned to return to JMU in the fall for guest lectures.

Full statements below:

I am extremely disappointed that I will be unable to continue in my role as Senior Fellow at JMU after June 30, 2019. This is due to legislation that was passed by the General Assembly earlier this year. It is not what we wanted nor expected. However, Jean Ann and I have thoroughly enjoyed spending the past nine months at JMU. We love this university and the people here, and I have enjoyed the opportunity to teach our amazing students more than anything I have ever done. I will always be grateful to President Alger for giving me a unique opportunity to work with the great team at JMU, and I will forever appreciate the incredibly warm reception that everyone at JMU gave Jean Ann and me. They made us feel right at home. While I know that we accomplished a great deal over the past nine months, there is much more work to be done. My commitment to JMU and higher education remains unshaken. There is nothing more important than our efforts to restore a more civil society, and we will not be deterred in our commitment to that important work. Toward that end, I look forward to returning to JMU this fall as often as possible to provide guest lectures on government, politics, public policy and leadership on a volunteer basis, and I will continue looking for opportunities to share this message with broader audiences as well. — Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling