A Georgetown University administrator will be leaving in June to take the position as president of Loyola University of Chicago.
Michael Garanzini, S.J., was selected to replace Loyola’s outgoing president. Garanzini met with students and faculty at Loyola on Friday, before meeting with the University’s board of trustees.
Garanzini will be Loyola’s 23rd president and replaces John J. Piderit, S.J.
According to reports in Loyola’s student newspaper, the Phoenix, student and faculty governing bodies called for the resignation of Piderit last year in response to the president’s handling of financial and student-related issues.
Cuts to student programs and debt brought on in part by losses at Loyola’s medical center caused students to form a group called Save Loyola. According to the Phoenix, one of the groups four main goals was to force Piderit to resign. In the winter and again in the spring of last year, students held rallies calling for Piderit’s resignation. He announced his retirement May 9, 2000.
“Some people at Loyola began to take actions that publicly injured the university,” Piderit told the Phoenix. “I had to weigh carefully what I could accomplish by continuing to lead.”
Friday, Loyola’s Board of Trustees officially announced Garanzini would be the next president.
April Ottenberg, News Editor of the Phoenix, said a meeting with Garanzini on Friday was overwhelmingly positive.
“People are hoping [Garanzini] will at least improve the spirit of the campus,” Ottenberg said. “He seems a lot more personable and a lot more open than father Piderit.”
Garanzini, a Chaplain-in-Residence in LXR, is a psychology professor and Special Assistant to University President Leo J. O’Donovan, S.J. Last year, O’Donovan asked Garanzini to work with students, faculty and staff to reach agreements on monitoring factories that produce Georgetown apparel. Garanzini also has been working closely with the newly formed Alliance for Local Living.
“Mike Garanzini is a great asset to Georgetown and has made a tremendous difference for our university,” O’Donovan said in a statement Monday. “He has been absolutely expert at all he’s turned his hand to, from major academic issues to student life issues and community relations.”
Doug Shaw, an Associate Director in the Office of Communications said no one has been chosen to take over Garanzini’s responsibilities yet.
“He’s not going to be leaving until June,” Shaw said. “There is quite a bit of time to be dealing with succession issues.”
Tony Cani, a Resident Assistant in LXR, said initially he was jealous Garanzini would be Loyola’s next president and not Georgetown’s.
“He’s probably the most impressive person I’ve met at this university,” Cani said.
