Holy Cross President Boroughs To Step Down

WORCESTER, MA — The president of Holy Cross will step down from his role at the end of the 2020-21 academic year after nearly eight years in the job, the college announced Tuesday.

The Rev. Philip Boroughs, 71, took over as the school's 32nd president in January 2012. In a statement Tuesday, he said he may not be the right leader for the future of the school. Holy Cross expects to begin a search for his replacement "shortly."

"I feel that new energy and some different skills are needed to address the realities of the coming years," Boroughs said in statement. "This time feels like a natural inflection and transition point for the institution: our seven-year campaign just ended most successfully, and we have just begun a strategic planning process that will set goals for the college for the next three to five years."

Holy Cross has had a tumultuous 2020 so far, beginning in January with a car accident in Florida involving the women's rowing team. Sophomore Grace Rett died in the collision, and 13 others were injured. The college is facing multiple lawsuits in connection to the crash, which police in Florida blamed on an error caused by the former rowing coach.

Months later, Holy Cross was shut down — along with every other college in the state — due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In a statement, the college touted some high points of Boroughs' time at the school, including a $420 million capital campaign, a top sports program and Holy Cross ranking high on lists of best schools in the nation.

"The transformation that he drove atop Mount St. James, as well as the construction of the stunning Contemplative Center in West Boylston, will enhance the spiritual, intellectual and physical well-being of countless generations of Holy Cross students," Holy Cross Board of Trustees Chair Rick Patterson said in a news release.

Before Holy Cross, Boroughs served as a vice president at Georgetown University, and he is a graduate of Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash.