UMass president leaving for University of Maryland
After three and a half years as president of the University of Massachusetts, Robert Caret has announced he will step down to become the next chancellor of the University of Maryland.
He begins the new job in July.
The former president of Towson University in a statement: “I could not say no to an offer to return to my home state, where I will be closer to my family.” Caret was president of Towson, near Baltimore, from 2003 to 2011.
Widely credited for improving the financial position and public profile of the UMass five-campus system, Caret called his service in the lead office a “great privilege.”
“Robert Caret has had an immeasurable impact on the University of Massachusetts during his tenure as president,” Dr. Michael F. Collins, chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, said yesterday in a statement.
“His vision for what a great state university can be and his passion for the benefits of a high-quality, accessible education has changed the landscape of public higher education in the Commonwealth. He is leaving the University in a position of strength – indeed, his steady hand during economically challenging times is an example of how mature, thoughtful, resilient and energetic leadership can truly make a difference.”
James Karam, former chairman of the UMass Board of Trustees and the head of the search committee that selected Caret in 2011, told the State House News Service that the UMass system has a pool of “tremendous talent” the trustees can draw on in their search for a successor. Among them, he mentioned UMass Lowell Chancellor and former U.S. Rep. Mary Meehan.
The Maryland state university system has 162,000 students, roughly twice the number of students who attend UMass. He will oversee an operating budget of $4.9 billion, compared with the $2.9 million budget of UMass, the Boston Globe reported Thursday.
Caret will earn $600,000 a year at the University of Maryland and will have a five-year contract, the Globe reported. He was paid about $500,000 at UMass, and recently signed a three-year contract extension after a favorable performance review.
He will succeed William Kirwan, who has been at the U. Maryland helm since 2002.
“I’ve known Bob Caret for several years,” Kirwan wrote. “He has had significant positive impact on each institution he has led. The University System of Maryland and the state will benefit greatly from his leadership in the years ahead.”
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