Schapiro became NU's president in 2009 after serving in the same role at Williams College in Williamstown, Mass., from 2000 to 2009. Schapiro, 67, said in the statement, “While I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved together to increase Northwestern’s national and international standing, I’d have to say teaching — and learning from — our students as well as our faculty and alumni, may be the highlight of my time here. After all, that’s what a university is at its core, and a president should never lose sight of that while making decisions and gathering and allocating resources.” In a letter to the NU community, Schapiro, Northwestern's 16th president, says the date of his term ending "was scheduled long ago, providing ample time to plan a smooth transition to my successor."