(CNN) Tulane University has removed its Victory Bell after learning that it originally came from a plantation where Africans were enslaved.

University president Mike Fitts and board chairman Doug Hertz announced Thursday in a letter to the Tulane community that the campus landmark would be moved to storage as officials investigate its exact origins.

"As an academic institution, we believe it is important to find a way to use this bell to further our knowledge and understanding of slavery and pursue a more just society," the letter reads.

Tulane's decision comes as colleges and universities across the nation have been grappling with their ties to slavery and how to make amends, including by reconsidering monuments or landmarks on campus because of their histories.

Tulane only recently discovered through its historical archives that the bell was originally a plantation bell, used to direct the movement of enslaved Africans throughout their day, the officials said.