LAS VEGAS -- University of Nevada, Las Vegas is looking for a new president. On Friday afternoon, the university Board of Regents voted 10-1 to not renew the contract of Dr. David Ashley.

There were two votes. The 10-1 vote was to not renew the contract, and a second vote was unanimous to remove Ashley from the presidency immediately.

The regents agreed Ashley was not the outspoken leader UNLV needs right now.

After six hours of discussion and testimony, the two separate votes ended Ashley’s presidency. Ashley's contract was good through June of 2010. Instead he will be reassigned to a faculty position.

“This was really about his communication, both with the board and the external constituency at large. There's a feeling that he needed to be more engaged, that he needed to be more passionate, visibly passionate,” said Board of Regents Chairman James Dean Leavitt.

Ashley has come under heavy criticism recently. Former Chancellor Jim Rogers asked Ashley to step down based on poor job performance, and there were allegations that Ashley's wife, Bonnie, treated UNLV employees poorly.

The board said the extra press didn't force them into a decision.

“The board always has a choice. Today, the board made its choice. The board listened, and I think what you say of the snowball effect -- it worked both ways. What this did was it brought out people that were supporters as well as detractors,” Leavitt said.

In the middle of a recession and in the midst of a budget crisis, the Regents voted for a change. Students said now is not the time to change presidents.

“I actually got a text message while I was at work, and I was shocked. President Ashley did a lot of good things while I was here,” said student Jared Schendel.

Schendel said despite Ashley's quiet demeanor, he did his job.

“When I came here two years ago looking for a school, I wanted to be a part of what it is now. It’s grown a lot academically,” Schendel said.

The timing could be considered off, since the school is in a large budget crisis.

Ashley was at the meeting speaking on his own behalf, but he declined to comment about his firing as the president of the school.

The board said an interim president is expected to be named by early August, and a search for a permanent replacement for Ashley will take place in September.