board of trustees in 2000. Then-president Joseph McShane notified members of the board in December 2002 that he would leave the University of Scranton to become president of Fordham University. Pilarz was approached by several members of the Scranton board who proposed that he submit his name as a candidate to succeed McShane. Pilarz submitted his name for inclusion in the presidential search after discussing the matter with his Provincial in Baltimore. The University of Scranton named Pilarz as its 24th president in an announcement on April 23, 2003. He assumed the presidency on July 1, 2003, succeeding outgoing president McShane. Pilarz's inauguration took place on September 26, 2003. One of the centerpieces of Pilarz's tenure at Scranton has been the development and implementation of a strategic plan called "Pride, Passion, Promise – Shaping Our Jesuit Tradition". The plan has included a $125 million capital campaign overseen by Pilarz which intended to transform the campus through the construction of new facilities including a new campus center, two new dormitories and a science building. In January 2008, a $35 million campus center, Patrick and Margaret DeNaples Center, was completed. The new Loyola Science Center, an $83 million building which is the largest capital and construction project in the history of the University of Scranton, was expected to open during the fall 2011 semester. On September 14, 2010, the university blessed and broke ground for the two new $33 million dormitories, which will contain apartment-style dorms and a fitness center. The dorms, with a combined of space, will house 400 additional students on campus. In remarks at the groundbreaking ceremony, Pilarz noted that the new dormitories would "add a splendor to this gateway corridor to the city" of Scranton, Pennsylvania. Additionally, The Commons, the main walkway through the campus, has been expanded to include portions of Clay Avenue and Linden Street during Pilarz's tenure, effectively lengthening the campus. The entire $125 million capital campaign, including the Science Center and dormitories currently under construction, was expected to be completed in fall 2011. Pilarz oversaw launch of a $100 million fundraising campaign, beginning in April 2008. Pilarz has also been credited with boosting the university's student enrollment. Scranton had a total undergraduate and graduate student population of approximately 5,500 people, as of 2010. Scranton has also continued to excel academically under Pilarz. U.S. News & World Report ranked Scranton as number 10 out of