At the fall meeting of the Stonehill College Board of Trustees on Sept. 21, 2012, Rev. Mark T. Cregan, C.S.C., announced that he will be stepping down as President of the College on June 30th when the 2012-13 academic year concludes.
The College’s ninth president, Fr. Cregan assumed the presidency in July 2000. A Stonehill trustee since 1995, he is the second longest-serving president in the College’s history having succeeded the Rev. Bartley MacPhaidin, C.S.C. ’59, who served as president for 22 years (1978-2000). Fathers MacPhaidin and Cregan have led Stonehill for 35 of the College’s 65 year history. Fr. Cregan is a 1978 graduate of Stonehill.
In announcing his transition, Fr. Cregan explained, “The College has made major strides in every area in recent decades and I have been privileged to lead the institution through a period of growth and expansion in programs, facilities and resources to provide a quality baccalaureate education to our students.”
“As we begin a new long-range planning process envisioning Stonehill in 2025,” he added, “It seems like a natural and appropriate moment to invite new leadership to the College.”
Speaking for the Board of Trustees, Chairman Thomas May hailed Fr. Cregan’s accomplishments as an educational leader who has transformed the College. May also noted how reluctant the trustees are in accepting Fr. Cregan’s decision.
“For the past 13 years, Fr. Mark has been outstanding. His energy, passion and ability have pushed the College to new levels of academic excellence and student success. Losing a leader of his caliber is challenging and we are reluctant to see him go. As he himself points out with typical foresight, we are entering a new phase in our development, one that looks down the road a decade or more to Stonehill in 2025. He believes this an opportune time for new leadership to ensure a successful development of the next phase of Stonehill’s history,” said May.
Reflecting further on Fr. Cregan’s time in office, May added, “Fr. Mark’s tenure has been marked by a laser-like focus on shaping the Stonehill experience around the twin pillars of academic excellence and student success. Using long-range and strategic planning to set goals, expanding existing programs and adding new academic and co-curricular initiatives, transforming the College’s beautiful campus and leading the College’s most successful fundraising campaign, Fr. Mark never failed to remind us that when our students and alumni succeed, we all succeed.”
Rev. Thomas O’Hara, C.S.C., Provincial Superior of the Congregation of Holy Cross, United States Province of Priests and Brothers, thanked Fr. Mark for his outstanding service at Stonehill. “As a former college president (at King’s College, Wilkes Barre, Pa.) I know first-hand both the blessings and challenges of leading an academic institution. While dealing with many challenges inherent in higher education today, Fr. Mark also recognized that Stonehill’s Catholic and Holy Cross identity and character needs to be promoted and strengthened. Stonehill College is an important ministry of Holy Cross in the United States and so we will continue to assign priests and brothers to this ministry. As Holy Cross educators we strive to educate the mind but never at the expense of the heart,” said Fr. O’Hara.
May said in the coming weeks the Board will convene a search committee whose goal is to have the Board of Trustees elect a new president in the spring and have him assume office on July 1, 2013. In seeking a Congregation of Holy Cross priest to succeed Fr. Cregan, the Committee will work with Fr. O’Hara.
Under Fr. Cregan’s leadership, Stonehill expanded academic offerings, improved facilities, and enhanced resources. For example, the College:
- Strengthened the faculty and revitalized the curriculum by introducing a common first-year core, interdisciplinary Learning Communities for sophomores and senior capstone courses in every major
- Established new programs in neuroscience, international business, arts administration, environmental studies, cinema studies, gender studies and Catholic studies. It also opened the Center for Nonprofit Management, the Center for Teaching and Learning and The Farm at Stonehill
- Expanded study abroad and internship opportunities for students
- Built new facilities such as the Shields Science Center, the W.B. Mason Stadium anda major new residence hall
- Set a new record in Stonehill fundraising when the “Attaining the Summit” campaign went over its $55 million goal and raised close to $60 million
Most recently, the College was ranked among the Top 100 Best National Liberal Arts Colleges by U.S. News and World Report.
Located 22 miles from Boston, Stonehill is a selective Catholic college with a welcoming community and beautiful campus where dedicated, supportive faculty offer individual attention to students in more than 80 academic programs in the liberal arts, sciences, business and pre-professional advising programs. Our ideal location offers easy access to jobs, museums, sports games, and more. Founded by the Congregation of Holy Cross in 1948, Stonehill is a vibrant community where students learn to live lives that make a difference.
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