Temporary leader named for UDC Trustees of the University of the District of Columbia announced Friday that a veteran educator and administrator will take over as temporary leader of the school following their vote this week to fire President Allen L. Sessoms. Rachel Petty, a psychology professor who has previously served as acting vice president for academic affairs and dean of UDC's College of Arts and Sciences, will run the university until an interim president is named, UDC said in a news release. Petty is scheduled to appear at a 3 p.m. news conference at the campus on Connecticut Avenue NW. The board of trustees of the city's public university voted Wednesday to fire Sessoms without cause. He had held the job since September 2008. The abrupt transition comes amid debate over proposed budget cuts at the struggling school and the future of its community college. UDC had 5,490 students this fall in two-year, four-year and graduate programs, up from 5,286 the year before, according to a spokesman.