After about six years as the dean of The Eli Broad College of Business, it's time for a change for Robert Duncan.

Duncan will step down from his position June 30, 2008.

"A big factor in the decision to do it was the continuous uncertainty with the budget crisis in the state and the lack of support for the university," Duncan said.

In an e-mail sent to faculty and staff of the College of Business, Duncan said he would have preferred to announce his decision at the fall faculty and staff meeting, but he would like to give the university enough time to put together a search committee for a new dean.

After retiring as dean, Duncan said he doesn't plan to go far.

He will stay at MSU as a part of the Department of Management and teach courses - something he has done since he began as dean in 2002.

"I was disappointed that he wanted to go back to teaching full time," MSU Provost Kim Wilcox said. "But the college is on solid ground."

Duncan's degree is focused on leadership, which has played a part in his success as dean, said Michael Mazzeo, an associate dean for undergraduate programs in the college.

Mazzeo has worked with Duncan since he started as dean.

"I have the office next to him," he said. "And it's really a team - the three associate deans and him. He views us all as equals."

Duncan has been vital in enhancing the undergraduate program, Mazzeo said. MSU's business college probably sends more students abroad than any other business college in the country, he said.

"He really has a global view," Mazzeo said.

While Duncan has been dean, the college has developed many innovative programs, Duncan said, such as new courses on entrepreneurship and private equity.

They also established new international business classes on the undergraduate level, Duncan said.

Duncan was good at maintaining the quality of the business college programs, Wilcox said.

"He developed a system for the college to plan for the future," he said. "He understood the big picture - the university's needs and the college's needs."

Despite his success, Duncan said the university isn't getting enough resources from the state, which can put a damper on working at MSU.

"Every year, we go through this process of waiting to see how bad it is," he said. "That just gets a little tiresome after a while."

Part of the reason he wanted to get the new business programs in place was to help the state's economy, he said.

"The state of Michigan has to reinvent itself economically and attract new industry," Duncan said. "One of the reasons why we've developed these new programs in entrepreneurship and venture capital is as part of our effort in the business school to stimulate economic development in the state."

He's not sure how much it will help, because the college only has been at it for a couple of years, he said.

"There's a lot to be optimistic about," he said. "We have tremendous potential in the state."

A committee should be put together sometime in August to search for a new dean, Wilcox said. The search criteria have not yet been determined, but a year should be sufficient time to find a new candidate, he said.

"It's hard to know until we get the committee together," Wilcox said. "We know we want to be continuing the strong leadership that we've had and building on what Dean Duncan has done for the college."

Duncan will leave on good terms, Mazzeo said.

"The next person has the huge advantage of building on all the good work he has already done," he said.

Colleen Maxwell can be reached at maxwel79@msu.edu.