Letter to the LMU Community: Congratulations Dean Shane Martin

Message from the Executive Vice President and Provost: Congratulations Dean Shane Martin

Nov. 28, 2017

Dear Colleagues:

I write to share with you that our longtime friend and colleague, Dean Shane Martin, Ph.D., will leave LMU in June 2018 to become the next provost of Seattle University. This new role is a logical progression for Shane, whose extraordinary leadership has transformed the School of Education and helped shape graduate studies here at LMU.

Shane’s connection to LMU spans more than forty years. He arrived at LMU in 1976 as an undergraduate student, and returned in 1992 as a counselor in the residence halls while completing his doctoral studies. In 1995, he became a full-time member of the faculty. Shane was named dean of the School of Education in 2005 and dean of Graduate Studies in 2012. During his tenure, SOE experienced an unprecedented rise in the U.S. News & World Report “Best Graduate Schools of Education” rankings, underwent successful reaccreditation, and launched and expanded the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership for Social Justice program. Under his leadership, SOE graduate student enrollment increased by over 60 percent to approximately 1,500 students; the university’s education unit received approximately $60 million in sponsored research and contracts and fundraised approximately $40 million; and saw nearly $8 million added to SOE’s scholarship endowment.

Thanks to Shane’s thoughtful guidance, three academic centers, the LMU Family of Schools, and multiple initiatives and institutes were developed in key areas such as STEM education, English Learner education, and Catholic education. SOE has been a leader in developing partnerships to support students and communities, including with Teach For America, the Los Angeles Unified School District, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, the dioceses of Orange and San Bernardino, and other school districts, corporate partners, and community-based organizations. Notably, the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education recognized the SOE for its teacher education with a national award commending the school’s focus on multicultural education and diversity.

As dean of Graduate Studies, Shane has strengthened graduate education support structures while advancing Theme Two of the current university strategic plan. This included hosting the first Graduate Education Summit, convening the Graduate Education Task Force, reestablishing the University Graduate Council in the spirit of shared governance, and developing a new graduate program budget model in collaboration with the Business and Finance Division. He also served as past chair of the Association of Graduate Schools in Catholic Colleges and Universities.

LMU is a bolder, stronger university because of all that Shane has accomplished here. We are grateful for his many impactful years of leadership in the School of Education and the Graduate Division, and are certain that his extraordinary experience and talents are a superb match for this premier Jesuit university in the Pacific Northwest.

On a personal note, I cannot thank Shane enough for his wise council and partnership since my arrival here at LMU. While I will be losing a valued member of my administrative team, I now gain a trusted peer and fellow CAO in the AJCU network.

We will have ample opportunities in the coming semester to appropriately wish Shane well as he prepares to move to this new role. In the meantime, please spread the news to colleagues in your area as appropriate, and join me in congratulating Shane on his new appointment.

Sincerely,

Tom Poon

Executive Vice President and Provost