The University of Mississippi’s leader says he agrees that a Confederate soldier monument should be moved from its current spot on campus.

Interim Chancellor Larry Sparks issued a statement Thursday that he’s discussing relocation with historic preservation officials.

Student, faculty and staff groups passed resolutions earlier this month asking Sparks to move the monument to a secluded Confederate cemetery on campus. Sparks hadn’t announced until Thursday that he agreed.

College Board trustees, who govern Mississippi’s eight public universities, ultimately must approve it.

Before any move, the university must consult with the Mississippi Department of Archives and History.

Ole Miss has struggled to distance itself from Confederate imagery, installing plaques with historical context about the monument and about slaves who built some campus buildings before the Civil War.