LMU Seal. Courtesy of Wikipedia.

David W. Burcham, President of Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, has announced his resignation, effective at the end of the academic year. In a letter sent to members of the LMU community, he noted:

At the conclusion of this academic year, I will have served 5 years as President of Loyola Marymount University. Rather than seek another term, I have decided to step down at that time. Today I notified the Board of Trustees of my decision, and my last day as President will be May 31, 2015.

This is the 24th year that I have worked for this special university. Those years have been immensely rewarding and gratifying, primarily because of the marvelous people who have worked diligently with me to offer the highest possible quality education to our students. I have often said that LMU, at its core, isn’t our fabulous campus and the views from the bluff, but rather consists of a constellation of human relationships. When those relationships are strong, respectful and collegial, LMU prospers. We may not always agree—that would be highly unusual—but we are able to understand and embrace common goals and objectives, solve problems and do great things together.  

Kathleen H. Aikenhead, Chair of the LMU Board of Trustees, also wrote to the LMU community to thank Pres. Burcham and highlight his accomplishments. See her letter here.  

Matt Emerson's essays have appeared in a number of publications, including AmericaCommonweal, and the Wall Street Journal. The Catholic Press Association named his September 2012 essay "Help Their Unbelief," published in America, as the "best essay" in the category of national general interest magazine for 2012. He is the author of the book Why Faith? A Journey of Discovery (Paulist Press 2016).Articles:Fruitful Searching (Jan. 5-12, 2015)Preambles for Faith (May 13, 2013)Help Their Unbelief (Sept. 10, 2012)Posts at The Ignatian Educator