UNCW Chancellor Jose Sartarelli is taking a brief absence beginning Monday because he will undergo heart bypass surgery next week.

Marilyn Sheerer, who was named provost of the University of North Carolina Wilmington in February 2016, will be filling in for Sartarelli while he has surgery and recovers -- a period that he expects to last a few weeks, according to a message he sent to campus Friday morning.

Sheerer "will have my full authority on all matters affecting our campus. I will be in constant contact with the provost and others while I am out, and I look forward to putting this behind me and getting back to work as soon as I can," Sartarelli stated in the message. "In the meantime, I know you all will forge ahead with the same enthusiasm and spirit we have always had as Seahawks, and I will be cheering you along from home as we continue to make great progress toward our collective goals."

Sartarelli took office at UNCW on July 1, 2015, coming from West Virginia University, where he had served as the Milan Puskar Dean of the College of Business and Economics for five years.

The chancellor "has prepared our senior team to execute on his behalf during his very brief absence, and he knows Provost Sheerer will provide excellent leadership for our campus, as always," said Janine Iamunno, UNCW's chief communications officer, in an email Friday. "He has been very grateful for the supportive messages we have received and is eager to get back to business as soon as possible.”

Editor's note: This version changes the headline and first sentence to correct the official term for Sartarelli's absence.