On Monday, Oct. 13, President Gamble made a difficult announcement in front of students, faculty, and the news media.
He revealed that he would be retiring at the end of this academic year after being president for nine years.
Though it may seem early for him to make such an announcement, Gamble said, “it [was] important to [him] that [we] are among the first to know.”
He wanted to ensure Mercyhurst has enough time to accomplish the difficult task of finding a new president, a noble decision on his part.
Throughout his presidency, Gamble has contributed so much to Mercyhurst, including establishing an international campus in Erie’s Sister City of Dungarvan, Ireland.
In 2013, he made the shift from trimesters to a 4-1-4 academic calendar.
He also put $15 million in Warde Hall and even $1.2 million into purchasing and renovating the Hirtzel Human Anatomy and Forensic Anthropology Lab at the North East campus.
With all of his achievements, will his successor be able to live up to Gamble?
Gamble says it was an “enormous privilege …to serve as president of an institution where all three of my children received their education and degrees.”
Gamble was obviously extremely passionate about his career as he has a personal connection to Mercyhurst.
It is pretty rare for a parent to have three children graduate from such a small institution in a city like Erie.
I’m not so sure the university can find another president who will have the same drive and “Laker pride” as our current president.
Luckily, President Gamble is not saying goodbye to Mercyhurst just yet.
He plans to “take a bit of a sabbatical and be back in short order to teach, write and do research.”
Mercyhurst has gone through myriad changes in the past several years.
It achieved university status, the campus expanded, and the staff has taken on several new professors, all thanks to President Gamble. Adding a new president to the mix may add chaos.
Hopefully, the next president will help to maintain “the faculty-student relationship, the beauty of a liberal arts education and the strength of the Mercy mission,” which President Gamble loved witnessing here at Mercyhurst.