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Thank You, President Snyder

October 7, 2024

Dear LMU Community,

Following President Snyder’s retirement announcement earlier, I write on behalf of the LMU Board of Trustees to express our deepest gratitude for his visionary and impactful leadership over the past decade. While we had hoped President Snyder would continue his tenure, we support his decision to retire on May 31, 2025. His creative vision and leadership have transformed our great university, leaving an enduring legacy that will benefit LMU Lions and greater Los Angeles for generations. 

President Snyder's leadership includes many significant milestones, leading the university to new heights. Despite the struggles observed across higher education, his tenure has resulted in record-breaking successes and gains in academic excellence, visibility, enrollment, financial strength and stability, fundraising, and athletics. LMU’s achievements in the last decade have strengthened its reputation and broadened its impact, establishing the university as a powerful force for good in support of its Catholic, Jesuit, and Marymount mission: 

  • Academic Excellence: Since 2015, LMU has created or expanded 40 academic programs, now offering 150 degrees, programs, certificates, and credentials. Full-time faculty has increased by 22%, and funding for faculty research and development has increased by 120%. With this high level of research activity, LMU was reclassified to an R2 doctoral institution and competes as a national university. LMU was awarded a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation's oldest and most prestigious academic honor society. LMU Loyola Law School outcomes have improved markedly: 90% of recent graduates secured benchmark legal jobs, 80% passed the CA Bar Exam on their first attempt (exceeding the statewide passage rate), and the law school has more  Top 100 Super Lawyers than any other California institution (more than Stanford, UCLA, and USC combined).
  • Strategic Plan: LMU's Strategic Plan summarizes the university’s ambitious objectives, inspired by President Snyder’s commitments to Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Innovation and Adaptability; and Extending Our Reach Beyond the Bluff.
  • Philanthropy: LMU surpassed all previous fundraising records with $73 million in 2024, compared to $41 million in 2015. The university now offers 1,590 endowed and annual scholarships, a 32% increase over the past decade, and has raised nearly $400 million toward its campaign goal of $750 million.
  • Finance and Endowment: Through increased donations and the university’s sound financial investments, LMU’s endowment has grown 60% to $745 million. Moody’s Investor Service upgraded and affirmed LMU’s A2 credit rating, signifying their confidence with a positive outlook on the university’s strong fiscal management and future despite Moody’s overall negative rating for higher education.
  • Reputation: President Snyder’s vision to reimagine LMU’s approach to marketing and visibility has led to a series of firsts and records for the university, ultimately elevating its national profile, reputation, and the value of an LMU degree. The university created the MarComm Division, transforming the way it promotes, communicates, and advances its mission with authenticity. For eight consecutive years, LMU has set visibility records with more than a ten-fold increase in annual impressions—supporting LMU’s rise in enrollments, fundraising, rankings, and recognition. LMU has ascended to a nationally-ranked Top-50 private university in the U.S., a Top 6 private institution in California, and Top 5 among the Jesuit universities and colleges in the U.S.
  • External Reach: In 2018, LMU opened its third campus and creative hub in Silicon Beach for graduate and professional education. The university is now positioned as a convener of world thought leaders after welcoming numerous heads of state, including U.S. President Bill Clinton, and Global Conversations partner Henry Louis Gates Jr. LMU cemented its role as a national platform for civic engagement after hosting the 2019 Presidential Primary Debate. The largest event in the university’s history, the 2021 SoFi Stadium “Megamencement,” symbolized and celebrated LMU’s resilience coming out of the global pandemic.
  • Admission, Financial Aid: Since 2015, LMU undergraduate applications have soared by 77%, setting records while decreasing acceptance rates from 54% to as low as 40%, reflecting the academic caliber of incoming classes; this year’s first-year class entered with a 4.0 average weighted GPA. Transfer enrollment rose by 21%, supported by a robust Pathway Program serving underrepresented, first-generation college students. LMU has increased scholarships and aid by 71%, awarding more than $163 million to support LMU students and families.
  • Diversity: The university has embraced DEI initiatives through its strategic plan and efforts, demonstrated by the creation of the Mbongi Spot and programs that reinforce LMU as a welcoming community. These priorities align with mission and extend to retention and recruitment practices. While higher education has struggled amidst SCOTUS decisions and other changes, LMU has become more diverse: 52% are students of color; Pell-eligible students have increased by 50%. For the first time in its history, LMU has exceeded enrollment thresholds for minority-serving institutional status (25% Hispanic and 10% Asian and Pacific Islander). Full-time faculty ethnic diversity has increased by 26%. President Snyder has prioritized the recruitment of leaders from historically underrepresented and marginalized groups, reflecting the student body’s increasing diversity in LMU’s senior leadership, the academic deans, and in the President’s Cabinet.
  • Infrastructure Improvements: Despite pandemic and supply chain challenges, LMU opened or renovated essential facilities: Palm North and Palm South residence Halls, the Howard B. Fitzpatrick SFTV Pavilion, the Drollinger Family Stage, Strub Theatre, and many smart classrooms, labs, and other spaces that support academic offerings. The Gersten Renovation Project, now underway, will help LMU attract the most talented student-athletes.
  • Lionizing Athletics: President Snyder has prioritized LMU Athletics, recognizing that competitive excellence positions the university to achieve broader objectives. LMU has proactively transformed its sports programs to address the seismic changes in the NCAA. This has resulted in notable success for student-athletes, with LMU teams finishing as high as 3rd in the NCAA tournament, winning conference championships, regular appearances in the NCAA tournament, and securing victories over top-ranked and undefeated teams. To highlight LMU’s success, nine out of fourteen teams have either won a conference championship or participated in the NCAA tournament in the last three years. LMU's Student-Athlete Graduation Success Rate is 95%, among the highest in the nation. 

These accomplishments highlight some outcomes made possible by President Snyder’s leadership, and he is the first to credit his ambitious and talented President’s Cabinet, the Deans, the faculty, and the many colleagues whose dedication advances the university each day.  

I am working with the Board of Trustees to solidify plans for a national search to recruit his successor. We are eager to find a leader who will continue advancing our mission and goals, and build on President Snyder’s foundation. I will soon share more information about the presidential search committee and the search process. There will also be a dedicated section in LMU This Week to update the community on progress relative to the search.

As I conclude, I take this opportunity to share a few personal observations. When Tim was elected by the Board of Trustees in 2015, he offered a compelling vision for a university with unrealized promise and great potential. While various tensions mounted—the increasing scrutiny on higher education, the nation’s racial reckoning, the increasingly complex legal landscape, and the global pandemic—many university leaders and institutions have struggled. On countless occasions, I have enjoyed a front-row view of Tim’s care for the institution’s best interests. He has earned the Board’s enduring support because we have experienced his thoughtful approach to decision-making, his desire to listen and learn, his willingness to act with courage, and his loyalty and support for his leadership team. As an educator at heart, among Tim’s greatest gifts is that he taught LMU to believe in itself, and with pride.

Please join me in expressing our profound thanks and gratitude to President Snyder for his leadership and service and in wishing him all the best in his future endeavors. We look forward to honoring his many contributions over the course of this year.

Sincerely,

Paul S. Viviano
Chair, LMU Board of Trustees