UMass President Robert Caret to Step Down in 2015

AMHERST — University of Massachusetts president Robert Caret has announced he will leave his job after four years to become the next chancellor of the University of Maryland system.

Caret, who became president of the five-campus UMass system in July 2011, begins his new position in July. Before coming to Massachusetts, he had spent much of his career at Towson University, near Baltimore, where he worked as a faculty member, dean, executive vice president, president, and provost.

“I could not say no to an offer to return to my home state, where I will be closer to my family,” Caret wrote in a statement.

He will succeed chancellor William “Brit” Kirwan, who has led the 12-institution Maryland system for the past 12 years. In a statement, Kirwan praised his successor, saying, “I’ve known Bob Caret for several years. He has had significant positive impact on each institution he has led. The University System of Maryland and the state will benefit greatly from his leadership in the years ahead.”

Caret, who will be formally introduced to the University of Maryland community at a news conference Friday, will earn $600,000 a year, and his contract will run for five years. At UMass, he was paid about $500,000 a year. He will be taking over a much larger system, with 162,000 students and an operating budget of $4.9 billion. UMass has half as many students and a budget of $2.9 billion.