Michael McGinniss

Last updated

Brother Michael J. McGinniss, F.S.C., Ph.D., a De La Salle Christian Brother, was the 28th president of La Salle University in Philadelphia, U.S. [1] McGinniss became president on July 1, 1999. He had been a member of La Salle University's Religion department and was president of Christian Brothers University in Memphis, Tennessee from 1994 to 1999.

Contents

Early life

A native Philadelphian, McGinniss joined the De La Salle Christian Brothers in 1965 and graduated maxima cum laude from La Salle University in 1970 with a BA degree in English. He obtained his master's degree and Ph.D. in Theology from the University of Notre Dame.

From 1970 to 1974, he was a member of the English and Religion departments at South Hills Catholic High School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. While a graduate student at the University of Notre Dame, he taught undergraduate courses in the Theology Department and was assistant rector of Grace Hall.

His first teaching experience at La Salle was as a visiting instructor in the Graduate Religion Program in the summer of 1978. He was also an assistant professor at the Washington Theological Union from 1979 to 1984. From 1986 to 1990, he was a visiting instructor at Loyola University's Summer Institute of Pastoral Studies.

Academic career

In 1984, McGinniss joined the faculty at La Salle on a full-time basis, eventually reaching the rank of full professor in 1993. Recognized by the De La Salle Christian Brothers for his qualities as a leader, he attended La session internationale des études lasalliennes (a program of study of Lasallian spirituality) in Rome in 1991. He became Chair of La Salle's Religion Department in 1991, and the following year he received the Lindback Distinguished Teaching Award. Also in 1992, he was appointed vice president of the La Salle University Corporation. In 1995, he became a member of La Salle's Board of Trustees.

In 1994, he became president of Christian Brothers University. Under his leadership undergraduate enrollment and retention rates were increased; a Graduate Education Program was established; the Athletic Department joined the NCAA Division II Gulf South Conference; new residence halls were constructed; enhancements were made to science labs and facilities; the school's Engineering departments were re-accredited; an upgrade of information technology systems throughout the campus was implemented; and the Center for Global Enterprise was founded. He also played a key role in the school's 125th anniversary celebration.

He has published articles in such journals as Listening: Journal of Religion and Culture and New Theology Review. He has written chapters in religious books and texts, including "The Catholic University as a Context for Pastoral Studies: Reflections on Three Programs" in Pastoral Studies in the University Setting (University of Ottawa Press). He edited six volumes of the Christian Brothers' Spirituality Seminar Series. Since 1983, his reviews of books have appeared in journals such as Horizons, Theological Studies, Journal of Ecumenical Studies, and Holistic Nursing Practice. For many years, he has lectured to a variety of academic and professional groups on issues related to spirituality, pastoral care, and theology.

His academic areas of expertise are pastoral theology, history and theology of ministry, methods and models of theological reflection, ecclesiology, and Lasallian spirituality.

McGinniss serves on the Boards of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania, American University of Rome, Manhattan College, Calvert Hall College (Baltimore, Maryland), the Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition, the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, and the Office of Community Development of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. In addition, he is a member of the Chairman's Advisory Council for the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia.

His professional memberships include the Catholic Theological Society of America, the American Academy of Religion, the College Theology Society, the Lasallian Association of College and University Presidents, and the International Association of Lasallian Universities. [2]

President of La Salle University

Under McGinniss' direction, La Salle University had developed a new strategic plan and significantly increased enrollment, giving, and alumni involvement. La Salle opened a new residence hall for 428 students and an adjoining dining facility in 2005. In cooperation with the board of trustees, McGinniss launched "Shoulder to Shoulder", a fundraising initiative to raise $25 million for the construction of a new science and technology center and the strengthening of the endowment for student scholarships. Under his leadership, La Salle underwent significant expansion; it began construction of a new business school, dormitories, dining halls, and other resources. The legacy of McGinniss' strategic plan remains ambiguous after his successor was left with a large deficit and faltering credit rating. [3]

When Colleen Hanycz succeeded McGinniss as La Salle University President in 2015, she inherited serious financial straits. There was a $12 million shortfall in La Salle's budget, which represented about 9 percent of the $132 million of the total operating budget. After McGinniss stepped down, there was also a large dip in enrollment. The 2015 freshman class was about 725, well below its target. Enrollment decreased by 135 students, about 16 percent less, than the 2014 freshman class of 860. [4]

Post-presidential career

McGinniss continues to live and work at La Salle. He is currently the advisor of his alma mater's Honors program. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">De La Salle University</span> Private university in Metro Manila, Philippines

De La Salle University, also referred to as DLSU, De La Salle or La Salle, is a private, Catholic coeducational research university run by the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools in Taft Avenue, Malate, Manila, Philippines. It was established by the Christian Brothers in 1911 as De La Salle College (DLSC) in Nozaleda Street, Paco, Manila with Blimond Pierre Eilenbecker, FSC serving as director, and is the first De La Salle school in the Philippines. The college was granted university status on February 19, 1975, and is the oldest constituent of De La Salle Philippines (DLSP), a network of 16 educational institutions, established in 2006 replacing the De La Salle University System.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La Salle University</span> Catholic university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US

La Salle University is a private, Catholic university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The university was founded in 1863 by the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools and named for St. Jean-Baptiste de La Salle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Mary's University of Minnesota</span> Catholic university in Winona, Minnesota, US

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota, (SMUMN) is a private Catholic university with an undergraduate residential college in Winona, Minnesota; graduate and professional programs in Winona, the Twin Cities, and Rochester; and course delivery sites in Minnesota and Wisconsin as well as Jamaica. The institution was founded in 1912 and is associated with the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, also known as the De La Salle Brothers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DeLaSalle High School (Minneapolis)</span> Private, coeducational school in Minneapolis, , Minnesota

DeLaSalle High School is a Catholic, college preparatory high school in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is located on Nicollet Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">De La Salle Lipa</span> Roman Catholic college in Batangas, Philippines

De La Salle Lipa, also known by its acronym DLSL, is a private Catholic Lasallian basic and higher educational institution run by the De La Salle Brothers of the Philippine District of the Christian Brothers in Lipa City, Batangas, Philippines and was founded in 1962. It is one of the third generation of La Salle schools founded by the Catholic religious congregation De La Salle Brothers in the Philippines: La Salle Academy-Iligan in 1958, La Salle Green Hills (Mandaluyong) in 1959, Saint Joseph School-La Salle in 1960 and De La Salle Lipa in 1962.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">De La Salle College (Toronto)</span> Independent day school in Farnham Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

De La Salle College "Oaklands" is an independent, co-educational, Catholic college preparatory institution run by the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools in Toronto, Ontario. Founded by the Christian Brothers in 1851, it offers a rigorous liberal arts education from grades 5 through 12, consistent with its Lasallian traditions and values.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La Salle College High School</span> School in Wyndmoor, Springfield Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States

La Salle College High School is a Catholic, all-male college preparatory school located in Wyndmoor, a community in Springfield Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. La Salle is within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and is located roughly 10 miles northwest of Center City. The school is staffed by a lay faculty and the Christian Brothers. Its sports teams compete in the Philadelphia Catholic League and the PIAA’s twelfth district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">De La Salle University – Dasmariñas</span> Private university in Cavite, Philippines

De La Salle University–Dasmariñas, also referred to by its acronym DLSU-D or La Salle–Dasma, is a private Roman Catholic, Lasallian co-educational secondary and higher education institution run by the De La Salle Brothers of the Philippine District of the Christian Brothers in Dasmariñas, Philippines. It is a member of De La Salle Philippines, a network of 16 Lasallian educational institutions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">De La Salle Araneta University</span> Private university in Metro Manila, Philippines

De La Salle Araneta University, also referred to by its acronym, is a private Catholic Lasallian co-educational basic and higher education institution supervised by the Philippine District of the De La Salle Christian Brothers in Malabon, Metro Manila, Philippines. It was established in 1946 in Bulacan and named Araneta Institute of Agriculture. It was then transferred to the city of Malabon the year after. In 1978 it was renamed the Gregorio Araneta University Foundation. Integration of the university with the DLS System started in 1987 until 2002 when it officially became a member of the system. It is the fifth university in the De La Salle schools network. The university specializes in Veterinary Medicine and Agricultural Sciences. It is a member of De La Salle Philippines, a network of several Lasallian educational institutions within the Lasallian East Asia District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">De La Salle Philippines</span>

De La Salle Philippines (DLSP), established in 2006, is a network of Lasallian educational institutions within the Lasallian East Asia District established to facilitate collaboration in the Lasallian Mission and the promotion of the Spirit Of Faith, Zeal For Service and Communion In Mission. There are currently sixteen Lasallian Educational Institutions in the Philippines. De La Salle Philippines replaced the De La Salle University System which was established under the presidency of Br. Andrew Gonzalez FSC in 1987 as a response to the rapid expansion of Lasallian educational institutions nationwide. De La Salle Philippines is a member of a network of over 1,100 Lasallian educational institutions in 80 countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Gonzalez</span> Filipino linguist, writer and educator

Brother Andrew Benjamin Gonzalez, F.S.C. was a Filipino linguist, writer, educator, and a De La Salle Brother. He served as president of De La Salle University from 1979 to 1991 and from 1994 to 1998. From 1998 to 2001 he served as Secretary of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports under the presidency of Joseph Estrada. After his term ended, he returned to De La Salle University as vice president for Academics and Research from 2001 to 2003 and as Presidential Adviser for Academics and Research from 2003 to 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La Salle University (Ozamiz)</span> Roman Catholic university in Misamis Occidental, Philippines

La Salle University Ozamiz is a private Catholic Lasallian coeducational basic and higher education institution run by the Philippine District of the Christian Brothers in Ozamiz City, Misamis Occidental Philippines. It is a member of De La Salle Philippines, a network of Lasallian educational institutions within the Lasallian East Asia District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hyacinth Gabriel Connon</span> Lasallian Brother

Hyacinth Gabriel Connon, F.S.C., was a Lasallian Brother and President of De La Salle University in Manila from 1950 to 1959 and 1966 to 1978, the second president to have served two terms in the history of the university, the first being Brother Acisclus Michael, F.S.C. He had the longest time to exert his influence on the university, initially for nine years, subsequently for twelve for a total of twenty-one years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armin Luistro</span> Former Secretary of Education of the Philippines

Brother Armin Altamirano Luistro, FSC is a Filipino Lasallian Brother who served as secretary of the Department of Education of the Philippines under President Benigno Aquino III. Luistro entered De La Salle Scholasticate in Manila on April 1979 while he was studying in De La Salle University (DLSU). He received the religious habit of the congregation on October 1981 at the La Salle Novitiate in Lipa. He professed his first religious vows on October 1982, and his final vows on May 1988.

Rolando Ramos Dizon is a Filipino De La Salle Brother who was the President of De La Salle University and the De La Salle University System from 1998 to 2003, Chairman of the Commission on Higher Education from March 2003 to September 2004, Director-at-Large of the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines from 1998 to 2003, and Acting Brother Visitor of the De La Salle Brothers in the Philippines from 1976 to 1977 as well as a member of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's Consultative Commission on Charter Change from September to October 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Mary's College High School</span> Private, day, college-prep school in Berkeley, Alameda County, California, United States

Saint Mary's College High School is a coeducational Catholic school located in Berkeley, California, United States. It came into being as part of Saint Mary's College of California, founded in 1863 by the Catholic Church, and put under the auspices of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools in 1868.

La Salle High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Union Gap, Washington. It is the only Catholic high school in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Yakima. The school's motto, Signum Fidei, is shared with other Lasallian schools around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of De La Salle University</span>

The history of De La Salle University dates back to 1911, when the Christian Brothers opened the De La Salle College (DLSC) in Nozaleda Street, Paco, Manila, Philippines. It is the first La Salle school established by the Christian Brothers in the Philippines, and the oldest constituent of De La Salle Philippines (DLSP), a network of 16 Lasallian educational institutions established in 2006 replacing the De La Salle University System.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean-Baptiste de La Salle</span> French priest and Catholic saint (1651–1719)

Jean-Baptiste de La Salle was a French priest, educational reformer, and founder of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. He is a saint of the Catholic Church and the patron saint for teachers of youth. He is referred to both as La Salle and as De La Salle.

Gabriel Moran, AFSC was an American scholar and teacher in the fields of Christian theology and religious education. His writings made significant contributions to the development of Catholic theology in the years following the Second Vatican Council. His writings have been translated into Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish. He held the title of Professor Emeritus in the Department of Humanities and the Social Sciences at New York University, where he also served as the co-director of the Philosophy of Education Program.

References

  1. Shelly, Jared (21 May 2013). "La Salle president stepping down". Philadelphia Business Journal . Retrieved 21 May 2013.
  2. "La Salle University Announces Election of Bro. Michael McGinniss As School's 28th President;". Archived from the original on 2017-01-01.
  3. "Fitch Downgrades la Salle University's (PA) Rev Bonds to 'BBB'; Outlook Revised to Stable" (Press release). 27 May 2016.
  4. "Philadelphia local news, sports, jobs, cars, homes". inquirer.com. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  5. "A Fresh Approach to Teaching • Honors Program".

General references

Preceded by
Nicholas Giordano

19992014
Succeeded by