FAYETTEVILLE -- Full draft versions of Joe Steinmetz's resignation announcement included an August date for him to step down as University of Arkansas, Fayetteville chancellor, unlike the version sent to campus June 17 announcing that he would step down effective the next day.
Steinmetz, 66, had been UA's top campus administrator since Jan. 1, 2016.
The university on Wednesday released the full draft documents under the state's public-disclosure law.
Earlier in the week, UA released June 17 emails of top staff members about the forthcoming resignation announcement, including discussion about a draft version that referred to Steinmetz remaining a UA faculty member after stepping down as chancellor.
The announcement sent to faculty members, students and staff members said nothing about Steinmetz's plans.
The same day as Steinmetz's announcement, the University of Arkansas System board of trustees met at 2 p.m. to discuss an unspecified personnel matter. No action was taken by the trustees, and the personnel discussion took place during a nonpublic part of the meeting.
[DOCUMENT: Draft version of Steinmetz announcement » arkansasonline.com/71ua]
Nate Hinkel, a spokesman for the UA System, declined to comment Wednesday. He referred back to a previous statement that Steinmetz's "resignation happened quickly and there are some details still being worked out related to other aspects of his employment with the University."
Hinkel has said that Steinmetz "did not receive any additional compensation in exchange for resigning as chancellor."
Steinmetz earned a base salary of $464,000 and yearly deferred compensation of $250,000, according to Department of Education records.
Among records released Wednesday by UA was a draft of Steinmetz's announcement that was apparently from midday June 17, given its file name: "Transition for Campus Community_COMMENTS 6 17 2021 1220PM."
The draft version had Steinmetz stating that he would be stepping down "effective Aug. 13, 2021." UA's fall semester classes start Aug. 23.
In the draft version -- unlike the announcement sent out to the campus a few minutes before 6 p.m. that same day -- Steinmetz would have stated: "I will then transition to the faculty for one year as a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences."
Steinmetz is a behavioral neuroscientist who arrived at UA from Ohio State University, where he was executive vice president and provost. He also has worked as a professor at Indiana University and as a professor and dean at the University of Kansas.
It's unclear from the records why changes were made to Steinmetz's effective date for stepping down and why language was removed about him staying on as a faculty member.
Steinmetz's resignation -- officially accepted by University of Arkansas System President Donald Bobbitt on June 18 -- came after the appearance of photos online, purported to be of Steinmetz, that a state senator said he has seen.
UA spokesman Mark Rushing, in a statement the day after the resignation announcement, said Steinmetz has said he is not in the posted photos and that they were "Photoshopped."
Sen. Bob Ballinger, R-Ozark, has said a legislator was told of a Twitter handle supposedly linked to Steinmetz. The Twitter account has been deleted.
"It appears that he was involved in some things that are pretty embarrassing for the university if they turn out to be legitimate," Ballinger said the day after Steinmetz announced his resignation.
Email and text records of staff members, released by UA this week, include a June 11 text message stating: "Was dealing with a gross twitter account using Joe's face. It has been taken down." Other staff messages referred to questions from journalists at the KNWA-TV station asking about the images.
Bobbitt and UA trustees have declined to comment.
Hinkel, the UA System spokesman, on Wednesday referred a question about the draft announcements to the UA staff.
"Drafts are simply drafts. They are subject to revision in an effort to provide accurate information in the final message," Rushing, UA's associate vice chancellor for university relations, said in an email Wednesday.
Records of emails released by UA show that Rushing helped draft the Steinmetz announcement.
Laura Jacobs, Steinmetz's chief of staff, said in an email that drafts "undergo revision to get the details right." Jacobs now serves in a similar role for Bill Kincaid, UA's acting chancellor.
Neither Jacobs nor Rushing responded directly to questions about the date change or the removal of language about Steinmetz continuing on as a faculty member before Steinmetz's final message to the campus.