CONWAY, Ark.—University of Central Arkansas President Lu Hardin, plagued by criticism over a secretly awarded $300,000 bonus, resigned from the rapidly growing college Thursday and will receive a buyout package worth more than $700,000.

Hardin submitted his resignation notice after meeting privately with the school’s Board of Trustees for just more than an hour. He intends to step down Sept. 16.

“The love of my life other than my children and my wonderful wife, Mary, has been leading this extraordinary university,” Hardin said.

Hardin has served as president at UCA for the past six years and saw enrollment rise from 8,500 to 12,500. He recently had surgery for cancer in his right eye and doctors placed a radioactive plate behind the eye in the hopes of shrinking a malignant tumor.

Hardin told reporters that he didn’t know if he would have resigned if his health hadn’t been a factor.

“My past would tell me, ’no, let’s work through this,”’ Hardin said. “There are presidents that have worse problems than this who stay and work through it.”

Shortly after announcing his resignation, Hardin apologized to faculty members during a previously scheduled meeting. During what amounted to a farewell speech, Hardin also thanked the faculty for their work.

“I haven’t made these types of missteps in my career and I apologize for that, because it caused weeks of problems and turmoil,” he said.