By Marina McAlpine
After four decades of service and 15 years as president, Antoinette M. Hays will retire from Regis College on June 30, 2026, concluding a tenure marked by sweeping academic expansion, campus transformation and steady leadership through one of education’s most troubling times.
Hays first joined Regis College in 1985 as a part-time nursing faculty member. She has spent 41 years at the Catholic institution founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston.
Hays lived in Wayland for 37 years, raising three children who went through the school system, starting with Claypit Hill School. She was a member of the Parmenter Health Center board for 20 years, 10 as board chair. She moved to the Weston college campus in 2017.
Her presidency, which began in 2011, oversaw institutional growth, including new academic schools, expanded graduate and online programs, major fundraising success and significant campus renovations.
Hays said she began seriously considering retirement about two years ago. She discussed the possibility with the college’s board of trustees as well as her family before ultimately deciding to step down at the end of the 2025-26 academic year.
“At that time, I felt like I still would like to have one more year with the college to right the ship post-pandemic,” Hays said. She described the period following Covid-19 as, in some ways, more challenging than the pandemic itself, citing enrollment pressures, mental health concerns, and financial strain across higher education.
In March 2025, Hays formally notified the board of her plans to retire, giving trustees more than a year to conduct a national search for her successor. The public announcement followed in June.
“It was very, very difficult,” she said of the decision. “It’s not just retirement. It’s about relationships.”
From faculty member to president
Hays’ path to the presidency was not part of a long-term career strategy. Trained in health policy, she previously taught at Boston College and Boston University and was pursuing doctoral work while consulting in geriatrics when she learned Regis was launching a nursing program for registered nurses seeking bachelor’s degrees.
She submitted her résumé, typed on a typewriter, and began teaching evening classes. She quickly embraced the college’s mission and community.
“I loved what I learned about the mission. I loved the feel of the institution,” she said.
Over time, she became dean of nursing, serving nine years in the role. She launched the undergraduate nursing major and expanded graduate education, positioning Regis as a leader in nursing education. When her predecessor announced her retirement, colleagues, alumni and students encouraged Hays to apply.
“At first I said, ‘No way,’” she recalled. “Becoming president was not at all on my radar.” After extensive conversations and reflection, she entered the search process. “The rest is history,” she said.
During Hays’ presidency, Regis expanded its academic footprint. The college established the Richard and Sheila Young School of Nursing and the Sloane School of Business and Communication, and later separated health sciences programs into their own school to allow them to grow independently.
New academic offerings included programs in biomedical engineering, diagnostic medical sonography, public health and expanded graduate and professional studies degrees. Hays emphasized identifying workforce needs and building programs to meet them, consistent with the college’s founding mission of “meeting the needs of the times.”
One of her earliest priorities was technological innovation. Regis became an all-iPad campus and was designated an Apple Distinguished School. The college also invested heavily in online learning, launching fully online graduate programs in 2017 — a move that proved critical when the Covid-19 pandemic forced campuses nationwide to pivot to remote instruction.
“We were so ready for that,” Hays said. Faculty were already trained in digital platforms and using Zoom technology before 2020.
Under her leadership, Regis completed a nearly $90 million fundraising effort. Funds supported financial aid, academic initiatives and extensive campus renovations. A new central quad replaced what had once been a parking lot, creating a more traditional campus heart. Residence halls and interior campus spaces were also modernized to strengthen community life.
Leading through crisis
Hays described the pandemic as the most challenging period of her presidency. She convened daily leadership meetings to assess public health guidance, testing protocols and campus safety decisions. Students who tested positive were isolated, meals were delivered to dorm rooms and mental health services were expanded.
“Nobody knew,” she said. “You thought you were closing for a couple of weeks, and it ended up being 18 months.”
Drawing on her background in nursing and health policy, Hays collaborated with epidemiologists on campus and maintained regular communication with presidents of other private colleges in Massachusetts. Weekly meetings among institutional leaders provided a forum for sharing information and support.
“It didn’t matter whether you were Harvard or Regis,” she said. “We were all in this together.”
Despite the strain, Hays said she was proud of how the Regis community responded. Faculty and staff worked to ensure students stayed on track academically and could graduate on time.
Community at the center
When asked what she is most proud of, Hays pointed first to the Regis community.
“I think we’ve built a beautiful community,” she said, citing solidarity among faculty, staff and students during difficult times.
As she prepares to step down, Hays said she will not miss the daily demands of the presidency as much as the people who define Regis.
“I’m probably not going to miss the job,” she said. “But I will desperately miss the people.”
She plans to relocate to New Hampshire, spend time with her grandchildren and rest after decades of leadership. While she hopes to remain connected to Regis in some capacity, she emphasized the importance of allowing a new president to lead without interference.
Hays leaves behind an institution reshaped by growth, innovation and resilience, and a legacy built as much on relationships as results.
Regis announced on Feb. 25 that its Board of Trustees has appointed Robin Lynn Cautin, PhD as the university’s 11th president. She is the current provost at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield.
