When Irvin D. Reid arrived at Wayne State University a decade ago, the commuter campus cleared out by Thursday night and didn't come back to life until Monday morning.

Now, from his president's house in the heart of the Detroit campus, Reid, 66, watches students walk by on Saturdays at 2 a.m. and nearby residents stroll with their dogs on weekends.

The infusion of campus life through the creation of three new dorms is just one of the memorable changes Reid reflected on Wednesday after he announced at a regular board of governors meeting his plan to step down as university president at the end of this academic year.

"This may be the most difficult decision I've ever had to make," Reid told the crowd, which honored him with a standing ovation, "because Wayne State University is an energizing and rewarding place in which to work and it will always be like home."