The resignation by Dr. Michele Moody-Adams comes two weeks before classes start at the undergraduate division of Columbia University.
She is the first female and the first Black dean of the college. She was recruited in 2009 from Cornell University where she was vice provost.
The New York Times reports that she cited administrative changes that would diminish or eliminate her authority.
In an e-mail message to Columbia alumni and donors Saturday, Moody-Adams said she planned to stay through the academic year. But on Monday, Columbia University President Lee Bollinger said in a statement that it was in the college's best interest for her to step down immediately. He said an interim dean would be named.
