NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The Iona College Board of Trustees has awarded a sabbatical to President Joseph E. Nyre. The sabbatical will run from May 2017 until January 1, 2018.
In an announcement to the Iona College campus community on Tuesday, Board of Trustees Chairman James P. Hynes stated that Nyre accepted a sabbatical for the Fall semester.
Chairman Hynes noted the award of a sabbatical “was aimed at securing President Nyre’s leadership for an extended period since the Board was convinced he was and remains the right leader for Iona College.”
The Board of Trustees took this action based on a provision placed in President Nyre’s contract dating back to 2011 and continued in subsequent contract renewals.
Chairman Hynes also wrote: “We are grateful to President Nyre and his family for their continued commitment and dedication to Iona College. Well known for his work and professional ethics, to date during his presidency President Nyre has led the faculty, staff and students to many accomplishments, most notably a strategic plan that has given Iona continued direction and purpose. As a result, Iona has strengthened its academics by implementing the new Core Curriculum; has improved its financial position by nearly tripling the endowment, launching a comprehensive campaign and strengthening the College’s credit rating; has expanded its student residences, increased land holdings and is preparing to build a new business school building; has limited tuition increases while providing record levels of scholarship; and has increased faculty and staff compensation and supported faculty and staff development, grants and awards.”
In his letter to the school community, Hynes stated that the board believes that one way to retain a successful President is through a sabbatical program, the same type of program that allows faculty to gain new perspectives, ideas and energy. A number of other colleges and universities have similar programs for Presidents.
“The Iona Board of Trustees very much looks forward to President Nyre’s return from sabbatical to lead us all in the next strategic planning exercise and execution.”
Prior to being inaguarated as the eighth president of Iona College in 2011, Dr. Nyre was president of the Hope Institute for Children and Families, He succeeded Brother James A. Liguori, who was president for 17 years.
Dr. Nyre was a clinical associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the College of Medicine at the University of Illinois, Chicago. Dr. Nyre earned an Ed.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Kansas and completed post-doctoral fellowships at Harvard Medical School and the University of Kansas. He earned an M.A. from the University of Missouri and a B.A. in psychology from the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. Prior to attending college, he served in the U.S. Navy. He is the College’s first non-Christian Brother to serve as president. He and his wife, Kelli, have three children.
RELATED
INSIDE HIGHER ED: Renewing the Presidency