Mills College President Janet Holmgren announced Monday that next spring will end her tenure as long-time leader of the institution.

Holmgren was appointed president of Mills in 1991 after administrators left following a failed attempt to turn the college coed.

Mills offers bachelor's degrees to women, but allows men into its graduate and certificate programs. The liberal arts college claims to be one of the most diverse in the nation, with 39 percent of its undergraduates, and 37 percent of its graduate students, who are students of color. About 1,510 students are enrolled this year.

Holmgren made her plans public at a Feb. 22 meeting of students, faculty and staff who gathered in the Concert Hall after she sent an e-mail that morning noting she would make a "special announcement."

Holmgren did not offer concrete reasons for her retirement, saying only, “This is definitely a good moment for me, because I am at the peak of my energy and my spirit and my sense of wanting to tell the story of higher education, tell the story about Mills, tell the story about women’s education and women’s leadership.”

She said she gave the decision a lot of thought, including speaking with her family, and that she wanted to announce her departure on her own terms.

"This is both for myself and for Mills. There is never a right or perfect time, but this is a good time,” she said.

After her contract expires June 30, 2011, Holmgren said she would like to stay on as a professor. She currently teaches a linguistics course at Mills.

Holmgren has advanced degrees in linguistics from Princeton University, where she was an administrator. She currently serves on its Board of Trustees.

In her two decades at Mills, Holmgren has overseen numerous capital improvement projects, including the creation of the environmentally-certified Natural Sciences Building and the Graduate School of Business. The college is receiving more applications than ever before, with a sharp focus on increasing enrollment and expanding its graduate programs.

Holmgren helped secure San Francisco Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi as the speaker for this year's commencement address.

In a message published Feb. 23, Holmgren said she will help form a search committee of trustees, faculty, students, staff and alumnae to determine who will take over for the 2011-2012 academic year.

Mills, which is located off Interstate 580 in East Oakland, has released a statement with more about Holmgren's accomplishments.