Less than a year after Edward Augustus Jr. left Worcester City Hall in favor of the world of academia as chancellor of Dean College, he announced he will be stepping down from the role.
The former Worcester city manager made the announcement on Monday and will officially step down April 14, according to a message from Mark Boyce, chair of the Board of Trustees, posted to the university’s website. Augustus’s chief of staff, Laura Paladino, will also step down.
The chancellor position was a newly formed role at the university that Augustus took alongside Kenneth Elmore, who was named the new president at the same time.
The two men replaced Paula Rooney, who served as the university’s president for 27 years.
In a letter to the Dean community obtained by MassLive, Augustus said after nearly a year under the new management system, “it’s evident that a more traditional format... is a better option.”
The school did attempt to make adjustments to its departmental structure in January, according to Augustus, but after a few months with the adjustments he recognized “it’s best for another change.”
The decision to leave was not simple, he wrote, and he had many sleepless nights, but he wants what’s best for Dean College, “even if the vision no longer includes me.”
Augustus said he envisions a bright future for the college.
He thanked the community for making his time unforgettable and staff for their unwavering commitment to Dean.
In his comments to the university community, Boyce thanked Augustus for his years of service on Dean’s Board and “his contribution to a critical moment in Dean’s history as we turn toward a new era of growth and development.”
Augustus was devoted to the school’s students and its cultural of inclusion and support, according to Boyce.
After he steps down, Augustus will still work with the university through the end of June as a special advisor to the chairman of the board.
Dean College isn’t Augustus’ first foray into academia. Before his eight-and-a-half years in office as city manager he worked as the director of government and community relations at College of the Holy Cross.
When he took the job at Dean, Augustus told MassLive he was interested in getting back into higher education because he loved his time at Holy Cross.
“I’m not sure where life’s journey will take me next,” Augustus wrote in his April 3 letter. “I am sure of one thing though, wherever I go, I will carry with me The Dean Difference.”