Farleigh Dickinson University president to retire next year

TEANECK, N.J. (AP) -- The president of New Jersey's largest private university has announced that he will retire next year.

Fairleigh Dickinson University president Sheldon Drucker said Wednesday that he will step down from his post at the end of the 2015-2016 academic year.

The 71-year-old Drucker has been president of the school since 2013, but also served two years as the university's interim leader and 15 years as an administrator.

Drucker had filled in as the university's president while former president J. Michael Adams was ill. He was eventually given the job on a permanent basis when Adams died of acute myeloid leukemia in 2012.

The head of the university's board of trustees says they will soon begin developing a plan to find a new president.

Drucker was involved in launching several initiatives, including development of the School of Pharmacy in New Jersey and the campus in Vancouver, British Columbia, where more than 700 students from around the world are enrolled.

"I am so proud of all that we have done in a relatively short amount of time, and all the credit goes to the community," Drucker said in his statement.

Fairleigh Dickinson is the state's largest private university, with an enrollment of nearly 13,000 students at campuses in Bergen and Morris counties.

© 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.