William P. Leahy - Boston College Presidency

Boston College Presidency

Since becoming Boston College president, Leahy has accelerated the growth and development of the university initiated by his predecessor, now-chancellor J. Donald Monan. Boston College's endowment has more than doubled, it has expanded by almost 150 acres (607,000 m²), and undergraduate applications have surpassed 30,000. At the same time, its students, faculty and athletic teams have seen unprecedented success — winning record numbers of Truman, Marshall, Fulbright, Rhodes scholarships, and other academic awards; setting new marks for research grants; and winning conference and national titles. In 2002, Leahy initiated the Church in the 21st Century program to examine issues facing the Roman Catholic Church in light of the clergy sexual abuse scandal. His effort brought BC worldwide praise and recognition for "leading the way on Church reform."

In 2004, Leahy announced plans to merge with the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry to advance BC as the world's foremost Jesuit university and a leading center of Catholic intellectual thought. In athletics, Boston College left the Big East Conference and joined the Atlantic Coast Conference on July 1, 2005.

In 2006, after a two-year self-study involving more than 200 BC faculty, administrators, students and alumni, Fr. Leahy announced a $1.6 billion Strategic Plan that called for hiring 100 new faculty, adding a dozen new academic centers and spending $1 billion in construction and renovation projects to elevate Boston College to the highest echelon of premier national universities. The Plan set seven strategic directions for the University: To become a national leader in liberal arts education and student formation; to enhance its research initiatives in select natural sciences and in areas that address urgent society problems; to support leadership initiatives in BC’s graduate and professional schools; to expand international programs and partnerships; and to become the world’s leading Catholic university.

In 2008, under Leahy’s guidance, the Weston Jesuit School of Theology re-affiliated with Boston College to form the new School of Theology and Ministry. Leahy's stated goal was to establish Boston College as "the world's leading Catholic university."

Most recently, Leahy’s effective fiscal governance has enabled BC to survive the economic downturn and emerge in a position of strength. The University has avoided layoffs, hired 80 new faculty and begun construction on Stokes Hall, a 183,000-square-foot (17,000 m2) administrative building for BC’ humanities departments.

The University’s endowment has risen to $1.6 billion, making BC one of the 40 wealthiest universities in the nation and one of the first to reach its pre-recession endowment level.

Leahy's memberships include the American Catholic Historical Association, the American Historical Association, the History of Education Society, and the Organization of American Historians.