Fr. Fitzgerald Steps Down; USF Seeks New President

USF Chancellor John P. Fitzgibbons, S.J., will be interim president of the university, effective Jan. 1.

Under Fr. Fitzgerald’s leadership, USF navigated the pandemic shutdown and moved classes online, eventually reopening the campus for all students. Lone Mountain East — the first new student housing in decades — was built on campus during his tenure to house 600 students.

USF also completed its largest comprehensive campaign under Fr. Fitzgerald, surpassing its goal and raising $312 million for new facilities and support for students. He also oversaw the development of a strategic plan for the university’s future.

Fr. Fitzgerald said he had been contemplating his resignation for several months, saying that 10 years was “the right tenure.” First, he said, he wanted to make sure Eileen Fung was in place as provost.

“It’s been a terrific decade,” Fr. Fitzgerald said. He said he is most proud of the Black Achievement Success and Engagement (BASE) initiative, launched in 2018 to give Black students at USF a community, resources, and scholarships.

Adrienne M. Riley '71, MA '74, trustee emerita, applauded Fr. Fitzgerald’s decision to found BASE.

“That initiative has created a way to increase the numbers of Black students not only who apply but also attend the university, how they feel welcome, and how they’re able to achieve success,” Riley said.

Fr. Fitzgerald said his favorite moment at USF came on May 9, 2017, when the former Phelan residence hall was renamed for Burl A. Toler Sr. ’52. Originally named for a San Francisco mayor who campaigned to “Keep California White,” the building was given a new name, Toler Hall.

Toler embodied USF's Jesuit Catholic mission as a student, a member of the "undefeated, untied, and uninvited" 1951 Dons football team, the NFL’s first Black on-field official, and a longtime San Francisco educator.

Jack Boland ’78, chair of the USF board of trustees, said Fr. Fitzgerald brought passion to his work at USF.

“He’s changed our university for the good and has turned this into a world-class institution,” Boland said. 

Fr. Fitzgerald will take a year-long sabbatical. He is in conversation with his provincial superior, Sean Carroll, S.J., about his next assignment.