The Rev. Timothy R. Lannon, S.J., president of Creighton University, announced in an email early Tuesday morning that he will be retiring on Jan. 20, 2015.
When Lannon announced his retirement last year, he set a date for the spring of 2015. The new January date is months earlier than originally intended.
Lannon cited health reasons as the cause for his early retirement.
“I have tried to strike a balance between my personal health and the demands of the presidential office,” Lannon said in his email.
“However, this proved to be a greater challenge than I originally envisioned. I feel it has become incompatible for me to follow my doctors’ advice for good health and at the same time fulfill my obligations as the president of the University.”
The Board of Trustees will appoint Chris Bradberry, dean of the School of Pharmacy and Health Professions, as interim president beginning Dec. 21, because Lannon will be traveling abroad at that time, according to the email. Lannon will return to campus on Jan. 8.
Following his retirement, Lannon said he will begin a sabbatical which he hopes will include a theological and spiritual renewal program offered by the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Texas.
In the fall semester he will hold the position of “president in residence” at the Harvard University Graduate School of Education.
“This has been a very difficult decision to reach because of the caliber of wonderful, committed people like you with whom I have had the honor of working, the support of my brother Jesuits and because of the quality of students and alumni that I have met over the years,” Lannon said.
Lannon expressed confidence that his successor will continue leading Creighton in a missioned-centered way, something about which faculty, staff and students have been concerned.
“I am confident that the next person stepping forward as president will continue to live out our University’s faith-filled mission,” Lannon said.
“What you have helped Creighton accomplish and what you have positioned us to achieve as we look ahead point to a future filled with promise and opportunity. Creighton has the history, the potential and a yearning to achieve even greater things.”
Faculty, staff and students have expressed mixed responses about Lannon’s early retirement.
“I was really surprised when I first read that Fr. Lannon was going to retire early,” Arts & Sciences senior Emalee Patterson said. “But I was mostly sad and know that it must have been a really, really tough decision for him. It has been pretty special having an alum as the president.”
Ronald Simkins, a professor in the Department of Theology and director of the Kripke Center, expressed disappointment, but also understanding. Simkins believes Lannon’s decision will not affect the way the University is currently functioning.
“Day to day operations are under the Provost, Ed O’Connor, and the Senior Vice President, Dan Burkey, and they will continue as usual,” Simkins said. “Bradberry can take the helm under this organization until a new president is found.”
Simkins pointed to ways in which the University has already been transitioning to new leadership since Lannon’s first retirement announcement last spring.
“The president provides the leadership and vision for the University, but this was impacted by Lannon’s initial resignation last January,” Simkins said. “I don’t see any noticeable impact with him stepping down earlier. We are essentially on ‘automatic-pilot’– carrying through initiatives and strategic plans already in the works – until a new president is selected, who might take the university in different directions.”
Ultimately, Simkins stressed the important role of the faculty and students on campus.
“The university is not the president, but the faculty and the students,” Simkins said. “This will continue uninterrupted.”
Kyle Shinseki, S.J., a Jesuit and professor in the Hedier College of Business, expressed admiration for Lannon’s service to the University, despite his poor health.
“I greatly respect and understand Fr. Lannon’s decision to retire early,” Shinseki said. “As a Jesuit, I have been inspired to see how he has been able to continue for over a year now as president at such a vibrant pace. I believe that he has been generous with his commitment, dedication, and service to Creighton, especially in light of the health challenges he has faced.”
Like Simkins, Shinseki praised the quality and dedication of the students, faculty, staff, alumni and other members of campus who would continue to hold Creighton to its Catholic, Jesuit values. Despite what could be a challenging transition, Shinseki believed it could be a time for growth and greater commitment to Creighton’s mission.
Jeanne Schuler, a philosophy professor, shared her hopes for the future president after Lannon resigns.
“Let’s find a president steeped in academic life who advocates for strong faculty governance,” Schuler said. “We do not need a bean counter but an engaged leader whose dedication to the Ignatian core of the university, especially the liberal arts, is not overshadowed by financial concerns.”