Seton Hall hires first lay president in more than 2 decades

the star ledger ^ | 01.12.11 | Kelly Heyboer

[Coleus]

Nearly 18 months ago, Seton Hall University’s board made a list of the requirements for the school’s next president: Proven leader. A doctoral degree. Experience leading a large organization. Most importantly, he had to be a Catholic priest. On Tuesday, Seton Hall ditched its list and hired its first lay president in more than two decades.

Former provost A. Gabriel Esteban was named the school’s 20th president as the state’s largest Catholic university officially dropped its hunt for a priest to fill the post. Esteban, 49, has been serving as Seton Hall’s interim president since last summer when two priests selected as finalists for the job dropped out of the running.

-snip-

Last spring, a search committee narrowed the presidential search to two finalists: the Rev. Kevin Mackin, president of Mount Saint Mary College in New York, and Monsignor Stuart Swetland, professor of Christian ethics at Mount Saint Mary’s University in Maryland.

Mackin quickly withdrew after deciding to stay at his current college. Swetland dropped out a few weeks later after some university officials grumbled about the priest’s request for a $300,000 salary and other perks during early negotiations for the job.

[Coleus]

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[Cicero]

I don’t know if this is good or not. What’s important at this time is that the President is a genuine Catholic and is concerned about hiring good Catholic faculty.

I don’t know why a priest would want a $300,000 salary. It strikes me as bizarre. As for the President of Georgetown. . . . Well, we know what that place is like. Their favorite alumnus is Bill Clinton.

[CdMGuy]

“Swetland dropped out a few weeks later after some university officials grumbled about the priest’s request for a $300,000 salary and other perks during early negotiations for the job.”

Obviously, not a priest who had taken a vow of poverty. Good thing he dropped out. Who knows, the lay president may be more of a Catholic than the priest they might have hired.

[Coleus]

I don’t know why a priest would want a $300,000 salary. >>

this seems outrageous, btw, Swetland has a show on EWTN.

http://www.ewtn.com/series/2006/fall2006/Campus.htm