Hurricane Irma has caused some controversy at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. 

  • USF St. Pete chancellor resigns after Irma evacuation controversy 
  • Questions came up about how evacuations were handled and where the chancellor was
  • University and Dr. Sofia Wisniewska agreed on a resignation

After questions about how evacuations were handled on the campus when Hurricane Irma hit and where the chancellor was, the regional chancellor is out.

USF President Dr. Judy Genshaft wrote what she described as "profound disappointment" in Regional Chancellor Dr. Sofia Wisniewska in a draft termination letter after the university leader said the chancellor delayed evacuations: "Your conduct created an intolerable safety risk to our students and the USFSP community."

One email from Genshaft's staff asks if the chancellor was even in St. Petersburg. One update from the chancellor reads: "P.S. Last night I arrived in Atlanta where I will stay for the next two days. 

Wisniewska responded to the draft termination letter saying she did push early evacuations: "There is absolutely no credence to the assertions made that I failed to assess the safety risks nor that I resisted the president's directions and left the state without assuring that all safety measures were in place."

Students on campus have mixed feelings about how evacuations were handled and the chancellor leaving because of it.

"Honestly, they were letting kids go quite early compared to when the storm was actually coming and I honestly feel that it was all pretty safe and they made sure that the kids were in a safe place," student Cody Crist said. 

Student Gianna Simms added, "It could've been a bit sooner like that’s what my parents were concerned about, they thought we got evacuated too late and I already left like 4 or 5 days before they evacuated."

"What she did was kind of like a mess and all that but I don’t think it was kind of justified for her to like lose her job," student Alan McKendry said. 

St. Petersburg Councilman Karl Nurse attended USF St. Pete and said the city is committed to helping the campus grow. 

"From the outside, things were going well on campus, was growing robustly. She was raising a lot of money, you know there's another building that's in process, the students seem to like her, but you know, eventually you do have to get along with your boss," Nurse said. 

In the end, the university and Wisniewska came to terms on a resignation agreement. 

Martin Tadlock is now interim chancellor. Wisniewska will work off campus with research and or online courses until her last day on May 1.