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Joseph Michael McShane (born June 19, 1949) is an
American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...
Jesuit The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
priest, who served as President of
Fordham University Fordham University is a Private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit research university in New York City, United States. Established in 1841, it is named after the Fordham, Bronx, Fordham neighborhood of the Bronx in which its origina ...
from 2003 until his retirement in 2022. Before becoming President of Fordham University, McShane was the President of the
University of Scranton The University of Scranton is a private Jesuit university in Scranton, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1888 by William O'Hara, the first Bishop of Scranton, as St. Thomas College. In 1938, the college was elevated to university status and took ...
and Dean of Fordham College at Rose Hill. In addition to his role as President of Fordham, McShane was appointed to the Commission on
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(MTA) Financing by
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David A. Paterson David Alexander Paterson (born May 20, 1954) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 55th governor of New York, succeeding Eliot Spitzer, who resigned, and serving out nearly three years of Spitzer's term from March 2008 to D ...
in 2008. On July 1, 2009, McShane threw out the ceremonial first pitch at
Yankee Stadium Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Bronx in New York City. It is the home field of Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees and New York City FC of Major League Soccer. The stadium opened in April 2009, replacing the Yankee S ...
to commemorate the 150th anniversary of baseball at Fordham. In September 2021, he announced his resignation in June 2022. Soon after his resignation, he was unanimously named President Emeritus of the university by Fordham's Board of Trustees.


Background

McShane grew up in New York City and graduated from Regis High School in 1967. He earned his bachelor's degree from
Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private university, private Catholic Jesuits, Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1863 by the Society of Jesus, a Catholic Religious order (Catholic), religious order, t ...
and went on to earn a master's degree from the same institution in 1972. In 1977, McShane was ordained as a Jesuit priest, after receiving his M.Div and S.T.M. degrees from the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley. In 1981, McShane received his Ph.D. in the history of
Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...
from the
University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...
.


Career

From 1982 to 1992, McShane served as a professor of religious studies and eventually chair of religious studies at
Le Moyne College Le Moyne College is a private Jesuit college mostly in DeWitt, New York. It was founded by the Society of Jesus in 1946, and named after Jesuit missionary Simon Le Moyne. Le Moyne was the first co-educational Jesuit college in the United Sta ...
. In 1992 he was made Dean of Fordham College at Rose Hill, the largest undergraduate college of Fordham University, where he served until 1998. That year, McShane left Fordham to become the president of the University of Scranton, a Jesuit institution. In 2003 McShane was inaugurated as the 32nd President of Fordham University, the post he held until June 2022. Currently, McShane is a trustee of Fordham University ''
ex officio An ''ex officio'' member is a member of a body (notably a board, committee, or council) who is part of it by virtue of holding another office. The term '' ex officio'' is Latin, meaning literally 'from the office', and the sense intended is 'by r ...
'',
Santa Clara University Santa Clara University is a private university, private Jesuit university in Santa Clara, California, United States. Established in 1851, Santa Clara University is the oldest operating institution of higher learning in California. The university' ...
in California, the
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, and the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities. He formerly served on the board of
Loyola University New Orleans Loyola University New Orleans is a Private university, private Jesuit university in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Originally established as Loyola College in 1904, the institution was chartered as a university in 1912. It bears the nam ...
. McShane also serves on the board of the
Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities The Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU) is a consortium of the 28 Jesuit colleges and universities and three theological centers in the United States, Canada, and Belize committed to advancing academic excellence by promoting an ...
. He also serves on the Bloomberg Philanthropies Board of Directors. In 2006 McShane unveiled a plan to enhance the reputation and the quality of
education Education is the transmission of knowledge and skills and the development of character traits. Formal education occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as public schools, following a curriculum. Non-formal education als ...
at Fordham University. The long-term goal of the University, according to McShane's plan, is to make Fordham the country's preeminent
Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
institution of higher learning. McShane believes that Fordham's location within New York City and its identity as a
Jesuit The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
institution are central to this vision. McShane has identified four key components of this strategic plan, as stated in a University press release: * to advance the culture of scholarship, teaching, research and service for faculty by investing in endowed chairs and faculty development to enhance recruitment and retention and secure world-class stature for University professors * to develop graduate and
professional A professional is a member of a profession or any person who work (human activity), works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the partic ...
programs that can win distinctive excellence, national prominence and external support, as well as enhance the graduate and professional learning environment * to develop and sustain an
undergraduate Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education, usually in a college or university. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, ...
culture of learning and living that will be recognized for distinctive excellence and achieve national prominence * to generate and sustain the funding necessary to support investments in physical resources and the University endowment, and to fuel growth in annual giving. Part of the plan was entitled Toward 2016, a reference toward the 175th anniversary of the founding of Fordham University. This 10-year phase was approved in 2005, and sought to raise Fordham to prominence among American Catholic universities by 2016. Additionally, McShane has unveiled an ambitious plan for the
Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5  ...
Campus of Fordham University. The plan involves razing several buildings on the Lincoln Center campus to make room for a new School of Law, an expanded library, student housing, a student activities center, and parking facilities. The plan will add an additional of space to the campus. On June 30, 2009, the plan was approved by the
New York City Council The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of New York City in the United States. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five boroughs. The council serves as a check against the mayor in a mayor-council government mod ...
. McShane served as President of Fordham University for 19 years. On September 2, 2021, McShane announced that he intended to step down as president at the end of the school year in June 2022. In February 2022,
Tania Tetlow Tania Christina Tetlow is an American lawyer and law professor who is president of Fordham University since July 1, 2022. Previously, she was president of Loyola University New Orleans. She is the first woman and the first layperson to hold each ...
was announced as his successor. Shortly afterwards, McShane was named President Emeritus of the University by the Board of Trustees. Since his retirement from Fordham, McShane served as special assistant to the President of
Canisius University Canisius University is a private Jesuit university in Buffalo, New York. It was founded in 1870 by Jesuits from Germany and is named after St. Peter Canisius. Canisius offers more than 100 undergraduate majors and minors, and around 34 mas ...
in
Buffalo, New York Buffalo is a Administrative divisions of New York (state), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and county seat of Erie County, New York, Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of ...
, until being named Superior of the Jesuit Community at Scranton University on July 31, 2024.


Criticism

On April 19, 2017, Fordham University faculty voted no confidence in President McShane's leadership, based on violations of shared governance and his administration's management of a labor dispute with the University's contingent faculty. The vote was an unprecedented 88% in favor of no confidence. However, the Board of Trustees took responsibility for some of the issues at play, a position contradicted by faculty experience.


Honors

In 2004, the University of Scranton bestowed an honorary degree on McShane in recognition of his service as president. In 2005, the University dedicated the Executive Education Center on the fifth floor of Brennan Hall in his honor. In 2022, Fordham University dedicated its newly renovated student center as the Joseph M. McShane S.J. Campus Center. In 2024, McShane received the Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, CSC, Award from the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities.


References


The University's Strategic Planning is in Full Swing

Father McShane named 32nd President


* ttp://www.fordham.edu/gifts_to_fordham/the_presidents_repor_24853.asp The President's Report 2005–2006
Fordham Unveils Lincoln Center Master Plan


* ttps://www.timesleader.com/archive/1031906/scranton-president-takes-fordham-job Scranton President Takes Fordham Job


External links

*Karen W. Arenson
"Scranton U. Head Is Chosen to Be the President of Fordham"
''
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'' (December 17, 2002) *Emily Bobrow
"Father Joseph McShane Has Faith in Education"
''
The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...
'' (July 15, 2022) {{DEFAULTSORT:McShane, Joseph M. 1949 births Living people Presidents of the University of Scranton Presidents of Fordham University 20th-century American Jesuits 21st-century American Jesuits University of Chicago alumni Boston College alumni Le Moyne College faculty American theologians Regis High School (New York City) alumni