UPDATED @ 3:33 p.m. Nov. 15: Spanier's resignation from the U.S. Steel board was voluntary, StateCollege.com has learned. The report below has been updated to reflect that.

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Former Penn State President Graham Spanier, who departed his university presidency last week, has now resigned as a board member of U.S. Steel Corp., a company representative confirmed.

The representative, spokeswoman Courtney Boone, said she could provide no further comment Tuesday afternoon.

But according to a source with direct knowledge, the resignation was voluntary.

U.S. Steel Chairman and CEO John Surma is also vice chairman of the Penn State Board of Trustees. Surma announced Wednesday that the Penn State board and Spanier together had decided that Spanier would step down as university president.

Surma also announced that the university had removed Joe Paterno as Penn State's head football coach.

A message sent to Spanier was not immediately answered Tuesday afternoon. Records posted by Forbes.com show that Spanier served as a U.S. Steel board member since 2008.

As a company board member, Spanier received from U.S. Steel compensation of $270,980 in 2008, $171,000 in 2009, and $191,000 in 2010, according to Forbes.com.

The Centre Daily Times first reported on its website the departure of Spanier from the U.S. Steel board. Spanier remains a tenured faculty member at Penn State.

All related and earlier coverage is available via the page linked below.

Related coverage

• StateCollege.com's earlier and ongoing coverage of the Penn State-charges situation