Joseph M. McShane

"Joseph McShane" redirects here. For the Australian rules footballer, seeJoe McShane.

The Reverend Joseph M. McShane SJ
32ndPresident of Fordham University
In office July 1, 2003 – July 1, 2022
Preceded by	Joseph A. O'Hare
Succeeded by	Tania Tetlow
23rdPresident of the University of Scranton
In office 1998 – July 1, 2003
Preceded by	Joseph A. Panuska
Succeeded by	Scott Pilarz
Personal details
Born	(1949-06-19)June 19, 1949 New York City,New York, U.S.
Education	Boston College Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley University of Chicago
Profession	Jesuitpriest,academic

Joseph Michael McShaneSJ(born June 19, 1949) is anAmericanJesuitpriest, who served as President ofFordham Universityfrom 2003 until his retirement in 2022. Before becoming President of Fordham University, McShane was the President of theUniversity of Scrantonand Dean of Fordham College at Rose Hill. In addition to his role as President of Fordham, McShane was appointed to the Commission onMetropolitan Transportation Authority(MTA) Financing byNew York GovernorDavid A. Patersonin 2008. On July 1, 2009, McShane threw out the ceremonial first pitch atYankee Stadiumto 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 fromRegis High Schoolin 1967.He earned his bachelor's degree fromBoston Collegeand 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 hisM.DivandS.T.M.degrees from theJesuit School of Theology at Berkeley.In 1981, McShane received his Ph.D. in the history ofChristianityfrom theUniversity of Chicago.

Career

From 1982 to 1992, McShane served as a professor of religious studies and eventually chair of religious studies atLe Moyne College.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 Universityex officio,Santa Clara Universityin California, theYMCA of Greater New York,and the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities. He formerly served on the board ofLoyola University New Orleans.McShane also serves on the board of theAssociation of Jesuit Colleges and Universities.He also serves on the Bloomberg Philanthropies Board of Directors.

In 2006 McShane unveiled a plan to enhance the reputation and the quality ofeducationat Fordham University. The long-term goal of the University, according to McShane's plan, is to make Fordham the country's preeminentCatholicinstitution of higher learning. McShane believes that Fordham's location within New York City and its identity as aJesuitinstitution 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 developgraduateandprofessionalprograms that can win distinctive excellence, national prominence and external support, as well as enhance the graduate and professional learning environment
• to develop and sustain anundergraduateculture 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 Universityendowment,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 theLincoln CenterCampus of Fordham University. The plan involves razing several buildings on the 8-acre (32,000 m²) 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 1,500,000 square feet (140,000 m²) of space to the campus. On June 30, 2009, the plan was approved by theNew York City Council.

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 Tetlowwas 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 ofCanisius UniversityinBuffalo, New York,until being named 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.

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 SwingArchivedJune 9, 2007, at theWayback Machine
• Father McShane named 32nd President
• New York Times article describing the plans for the Lincoln Center campus
• The President's Report 2005–2006ArchivedJune 7, 2007, at theWayback Machine
• Fordham Unveils Lincoln Center Master PlanArchivedSeptember 8, 2006, at theWayback Machine
• STATEMENT OF MAYOR MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG ON CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL OF THE LOWER CONCOURSE AND FORDHAM REZONINGS
• Scranton President Takes Fordham Job

External links

• Karen W. Arenson,"Scranton U. Head Is Chosen to Be the President of Fordham"The New York Times(December 17, 2002)
• Emily Bobrow,"Father Joseph McShane Has Faith in Education"The Wall Street Journal(July 15, 2022)