St. Joe’s president, VP, to step down in June
The president and vice president of Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia are stepping down amid recent financial concerns and no-confidence votes.
The Rev. C. Kevin Gillespie says he will resign next June after finishing a three-year term.
The university said Friday that senior vice president John Smithson will also leave next year.
The moves come amid criticism of a proposed plan to accept 225 more students this fall to boost revenues.
Critics say that would make the private Jesuit school appear less selective. The plan has not been enacted.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the resignations follow no-confidence votes in the two leaders by faculty groups.
Gillespie, a 1972 graduate, says he recognizes that Saint Joe’s needs new leadership.
The university has more than 8,800 students.
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