Duquesne University’s announcement Friday of President Charles Dougherty’s planned retirement means yet another leadership transition on a major Pittsburgh campus, one disclosed only two days after the death of his predecessor, John E. Murray Jr.

Mr. Dougherty, 65, who became the Catholic university’s 12th president in 2001, said he intends to relinquish his duties when his current contract expires June 30, 2016. He made the announcement Friday at a meeting of Duquesne’s board of directors, thanking members who had invited him to stay beyond his term, officials said.

“After giving this invitation the serious reflection it deserves, I have concluded that the timing is right for Duquesne University and for me personally to step down from the presidency at the end of the 2015-16 academic year,” he was quoted as saying in the school’s announcement of his decision.

"I will have served 15 years by then — a long time for a single president. I believe in term limits because they provide for new perspectives and new vigor. Further, the University’s exceptionally strong national position makes 2016 an opportune time for a leadership transition.”

The board’s chairwoman, Marie Milie Jones, offered praise.

“The stature of the University has increased dramatically because of Charlie’s leadership,” she said in remarks accompanying the announcement. “He has driven major improvements in every area of the University, and as a result Duquesne is well positioned among the top Catholic universities in the country.”

Officials with the school of nearly 10,000 students on The Bluff said a national search will be launched to find a successor to Mr. Dougherty, whose total yearly compensation was listed  at $619,831 in the most recent survey by The Chronicle of Higher Education of private campus presidential pay.

In the last couple years, the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University, among other Pittsburgh-area schools, have seen the departure of longtime leaders in Pitt Chancellor Mark Nordenberg and CMU President Jared Cohon.

Friday’s late afternoon announcement was the second big news to hit Duquesne this week. On Wednesday, officials disclosed that Mr. Murray, 82, the school’s chancellor and law professor and its president from 1988 to 2001, had died of a heart attack. Funeral arrangements as of Friday had not been announced. 

In a message Friday to the campus, Mr. Dougherty pledged to continue full force for his remaining 16 months. He thanked faculty and staff, saying together they have moved Duquesne to national prominence.

“There will undoubtedly be moments of reflection over the next 16 months, but I assure you that my main focus will be to bring my full energy to bear on my responsibilities as president for the remainder of my time in office,” he said. “I look forward to the coming months with great excitement about the future of this remarkable institution.”

Mr. Dougherty said Duquesne is in “a strong national position,” another reason the time for transition is right.

His administration pointed to $350 million in new facilities and other investments that touched all corners of campus and beyond, from the first comprehensive recreation center, the Power Center, and a new residence hall to opening of a pharmacy in the Hill District.

The Advancing Our Legacy capital campaign that concluded in December 2012 brought in about $165 million, moving past its $150 million goal a year early.

The drive spawned 400 new endowed funds for academic programs, student life initiatives and scholarships. Duquesne said it now has 24 endowed chairs, up from two the year Mr. Dougherty took office.

Officials noted that under Mr. Dougherty, the university embarked on its first-ever strategic planning process and the school acquired land and buildings adjacent to campus. The university noted other efforts illustrating Duquesne’s Spiritan mission under Mr. Dougherty, including the Centers for Spiritan Studies, Catholic Intellectual Tradition and African Studies;  a wellness center open to the public; and an expanded community law clinic.

Bill Schackner: bschackner@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1977 and on Twitter: @BschacknerPG.

First Published: February 13, 2015, 9:31 p.m.
Updated: February 14, 2015, 3:11 a.m.