Ariela Gross, a law professor who spearheaded the faculty petition said she was “thrilled” with the announcement and was hopeful it would bring “meaningful change.”

“We’re at a real crossroads for the university and this is the first step in starting over,” she said. “Our voices were heard and respected and that is tremendous. The next step is how are we going to choose new leadership? Rather than send it out to a corporate search firm, are we going to respect strong academic values? We need to have a serious national search for someone who will take us to the next stage.”

Mr. Nikias had promised a full investigation of the scandal involving the medical school dean by an independent law firm last year, but faculty and staff members grew impatient when the results were not publicly released. Many said the handling of the allegations against Dr. Tyndall was the final straw. Critics were especially angered by the university’s failure to report the internal investigation to state authorities, former patients or the public, saying it amounted to protecting the image of the school at the expense of putting students in danger.

The trustees are mostly alumni who donate millions of dollars to the university. The chairman of the board, John Mork, an energy executive in Colorado, issued a brief statement Tuesday indicating “full confidence in President Nikias’s leadership, ethics, and values,” adding that the executive committee “is certain that he will successfully guide our community forward.”