At an all-school gathering on Oct. 13 in the Performing Arts Center, President Thomas Gamble, Ph.D, accompanied by Marlene Mosco, Chair of the Board of Trustees and two other Board members, announced that he would be ending his term as Mercyhurst University president at the end of the 2014-2015 academic year.

Mosco said that when Gamble’s contract was renewed in 2010, he was insistent that “2005 was the Alpha of his presidency, and 2015 would be the Omega of his presidency.”

Gamble, after Mosco’s introduction, said that while “it might seem early to make an announcement like this,” he wished to “make sure that Mercyhurst has plenty of time to conduct a search, select a new president, and have that individual be available here on campus to take the helm.”

President Gamble plans to return to “teaching, researching, and writing” as a member of the Mercyhurst faculty, after he completes a “short sabbatical.”

The Board of Trustees has begun the search for a new university president. Gamble will remain in office until the end of his contract, or until the board selects a new president, whichever comes first.

Gamble’s tenure as president was marked by many changes. During his speech, he mentioned the transition to university status, the construction of Warde residence hall and the Center for Academic Engagement, the transition to the 4-1-4 academic calendar, as well as the establishment of many other programs. There were negative aspects of his tenure as well. Recent years have seen a decline in enrollment, as well as the university being given a warning in January by the Middle States Commission for Higher Education for not completely meeting the commission’s standards for accreditation.