Mercyhurst University president Michael Victor has announced plans to retire June 1, 2021.

He said it's time to assume new challenges after achieving the goals he set for his administration.

Victor told the Board of Trustees during its fall meeting Saturday and shared the news with the university community in a letter Monday.

The university said it has seen enrollment growth, new and enhanced campus facilities and improved academic quality during Victor's tenure.

This year, Mercyhurst saw an 11 percent gain in new freshman enrollment and 50 percent increase in graduate enrollment. Capital improvements include the new sophomore residence, Ryan Hall; renovation of Grotto Commons dining hall; MCPc Cyber Education Center; and the main-floor facelift of the university’s library.

Victor was named president of Mercyhurst Aug. 1, 2015.

A search for the university's next president will begin immediately.

Full letter

Dear Mercyhurst University Community:

As I take a moment to glance across this beautiful and iconic campus, I believe that Mercyhurst University towers from its hillside setting as a welcoming beacon, giving students from around the globe a truly distinctive opportunity to find their place as world-class artists, scientists, educators, entrepreneurs, and civic leaders.

Our continuing success in making the right choices for this extraordinary institution, during this, the sixth year that I have served as Mercyhurst president, is a legacy that I hope will stand for years to come. And, so, it is with this in mind that I announce my plans for retirement as your president, effective June 1, 2021. This is a bittersweet moment for me as my heart definitely bleeds green and blue, but I believe the time is right for this transition.

I feel blessed to have led our beloved university through some of its most challenging times. When I arrived in August of 2015, our finances were less than ideal, deferred maintenance was obvious, our enrollment numbers were down, our academic and administrative operations were woefully inefficient, and morale was so low as to be palpable.

Besides those Mercyhurst-specific issues, we encountered formidable industry-wide challenges, like declining demographics, rising costs, and increased competition. Then came the unknown: a pandemic of global proportions.

To have survived our internal issues, the potholed landscape of higher ed, and COVID-19 clearly demonstrates the strength and spirit of our Laker community. Further, not only did we survive, but we advanced and today are solidly entrenched in what can only be considered an enviable position.

I shudder to think of the numerous ill-fated paths we could have traveled, but we chose the right one each and every time. It is with the deepest admiration that I credit my cabinet and my top administrators for their highly skilled professionalism and steadfast devotion.

We realized early during my administration that the reliability of traditional higher education models would not generate the results we needed. Instead, we implemented a business model that required institutional effectiveness at all levels, in particular, the effective use of data to inform decisions, planning, and improvement. We tackled problems day by day but we never lost sight of the big picture and the sense of preparedness that it demanded of us, which is exactly why I believe our Mercyhurst team continues to manage the COVID-19 crisis with such composure.

In retrospect, our financial picture is secure; our campus never looked better; our academics are flourishing, especially niche majors like cybersecurity and data science as well as our burgeoning online programs; our enrollment this year has made historic gains; and we are weathering the pandemic as well as – if not better than – any university in the country.

In retiring, I feel confident that we achieved all the goals we set for ourselves.  I have faith that our university is well positioned for its next leader. Never would I consider retiring were that not the case. After all, it was Sister Pat Whalen of our founding Sisters of Mercy whose call I heeded to return to the Hill in 2015. I hope I have served her – and all of you – well.

I am humbled and yet gratified by the knowledge that generations of Mercyhurst University students will benefit from the vision, hard work, and seeds that we planted during the past half-decade.

I thank you from the bottom of my heart for the opportunity to serve as the 12th president of Mercyhurst University. It has been the experience of a lifetime and one I will cherish forever.

Carpe Diem,

Michael T. Victor, J.D., LL.D | President