Fitchburg State president to retire

Photo | Courtesy of Fitchburg State University Fitchburg State University President Richard Lapidus will retire at the end of the 2023-24 academic year.

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By Timothy Doyle

Fitchburg State University President Richard Lapidus will retire at the end of the 2023-24 academic year.

“From the day I first interviewed for the position on campus, I knew that Fitchburg State was a special place, and it has been an honor to have contributed to its positive evolution,” President Lapidus wrote in a letter to the campus community included in a Tuesday press release from the school. “This is a campus of dedicated individuals who care deeply about our students, and as I have said many times, each of you makes a difference every day and for that I can’t be more appreciative.”

In the letter, Lapidus said he intends to spend more time with family and friends and pursue interests outside of the university. He was hired by the University in July 2015.

During his tenure at FSU, he saw the school through the COVID-19 pandemic, launched a new strategic plan, and worked to deepen ties between the City of Fitchburg and the university.

Lapidus was named a member of WBJ Power 50 Class of 2022 for the effect he has had on the redevelopment of Downtown Fitchburg, of which FSU has played a crucial role in redeveloping older buildings, particularly along the theater block at 717 Main St., where it has installed new school facilities. One of the focuses of the school’s efforts has been the restoration of the Main Street theater.

Fitchburg State will undertake a comprehensive national search for a new president, according to the Tuesday press release.

Fitchburg State is the seventh-largest college in Central Massachusetts, as ranked by 2022-23 full-time enrollment, according to the WBJ Research Department. The school has 6,000 full- and part-time students enrolled, according to the Tuesday press release. Its endowment is $24.4 million.