April 01, 2019
Statements regarding Father Shanley’s tenure
The Providence College Board of Trustees issued this statement today. It comes in response to Friday’s announcement (further below) that Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P.’s religious superior will not make him available for a fourth term as College president. Consequently, Father Shanley’s presidency will conclude at the end of his third term in June, 2020.
Board of Trustees statement on Father Shanley
The Board of Trustees was informed recently by the Very Rev. Kenneth Letoile, O.P., Prior Provincial of the Dominican Province of St. Joseph, that he will not make Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P. available to serve a fourth term as College president when his current term expires in June 2020. The Board is deeply disappointed in this decision. Father Shanley enjoys the unequivocal, unwavering, and nearly unanimous support of the Board. We believe in his leadership, which has been nothing short of transformational for the College since he took office in 2005. The strength and quality of Father Shanley’s stewardship, and his commitment to the mission of Providence College, have been demonstrated time and time again.
Father Shanley has enjoyed strong Board support throughout his tenure, and that support continues to this day. Indeed, most of us had been counting on his service for an additional five-year term. Providence College has thrived under his leadership: applications from prospective students are at record levels for the fifth consecutive year; the campus has been transformed in recent years with the construction of new academic buildings, state-of-the-art athletic facilities, and a thoughtful and innovative land-use plan that has made us the envy of our peers; our recent capital campaign was wildly successful, exceeding all expectations by raising $185 million on a $140 million goal; we have achieved AACSB accreditation for the School of Business; and the College, as a whole, was recently reaccredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (now the New England Commission for Higher Education). In short, Providence College has not simply thrived under Father Shanley’s leadership, but has advanced extraordinarily within the landscape of higher education.
The Board of Trustees thanks Father Shanley for his incredible inspiration and his leadership of Providence College over these last 14 years. While the Provincial’s decision not to make Father Shanley available for a fourth term is a great disappointment, we understand that when an institution is affiliated with a religious order, changes like this are often inevitable.
PC has never been in a better position, and the Board of Trustees remains extremely optimistic about the future of the College. Father Shanley’s visionary leadership has built an extensive and longstanding community of stakeholders whose ongoing dedication to PC have positioned the College for continued and long-term success. The Board is committed to working with the Provincial to implement a succession plan over the next 14 months which will ensure that the College remains on the tremendous trajectory established under Father Shanley’s leadership.
College statement on Father Shanley; March 29, 2019
Providence College President Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P. ’80 announced today that he will complete his tenure as president of Providence College after 15 years when his current term ends on June 30, 2020.
Father Shanley played a leadership role in overseeing the development of the College’s new Strategic Plan, PC200, which was approved by our Board of Trustees earlier this year. Thanks to Father Shanley, the College is well-positioned for continued growth and future success. We are grateful for his continued stewardship, and look forward to further achievement in academics, student development and well-being, and athletics under his leadership in the next 15 months.
In July of this year, Father Shanley will become the longest-serving president in Providence College history. Elected president for his first, five-year term in 2005, he was subsequently elected to two additional, five-year terms by the College Corporation and its Board of Trustees.
The Board of Trustees will announce plans to choose a successor to Father Shanley in the weeks and months ahead.
