Point Park University president to retire next summer

After more than 20 years, Point Park’s president is leaving the university.

Paul Hennigan notified the Board of Trustees that he will retire in summer 2021, the university announced Monday.

“The Board is deeply grateful to Dr. Hennigan for 16 years of outstanding leadership as president of the university,” Chairman Joe Greco said in a statement.

Hennigan began working at Point Park in 2000 as vice president of finance and operations. He became acting president in January 2006 and president in September that year.

“I am honored to have worked with so many talented people affiliated with Point Park over the past 20 years,” Hennigan said in a statement. “Together, we have built so much that has influenced the lives of so many.”

Greco said Hennigan will continue to consult with the university on different initiatives, including community relations, alumni engagement, fundraising and the new president’s transition. The executive committee of the board has selected the firm WittKieffer as the search consultant to find a new president.

The announcement comes during a challenging time in the higher education sector, as Point Park navigates its first hybrid semester through the covid-19 pandemic. A group of Point Park students filed a class action lawsuit last week against the university for “subpar” education when classes moved to total remote learning in the spring. They claim they are entitled to refunds for tuition and fees.

The university is also in the midst of a search for a new provost — who is also due to begin work in summer 2021. The university announced in June that the current provost, John H. Pearson, would retire at the end of this academic year. That means that in 2021, there will be new faces in two of the top leadership roles at the university.

“The provost search process has proceeded smoothly, and we expect the same for the president search,” said Lou Corsaro, a university spokesman. “We have great confidence in WittKieffer and their ability to keep the search for a new president moving on schedule.”

Hennigan said next summer will be an “exciting opportunity for the university to help define a new era for higher education.”

“The summer of 2021 will be a perfect time for new leadership at Point Park,” he said. “Hopefully, the world will be out of the worst of the pandemic, and it will be good for a new leader with new ideas and new energy to work with the university community to develop the next vision and strategic plan for Point Park University.”