Loyola Marymount University President Timothy Law Snyder announced Monday he will retire at the end of his term on May 31, 2025.
Snyder became LMU’s 16th president on June 1, 2015.
“When I came to LMU in 2015 — invigorated by its stellar talent and immense potential — I prioritized elevating LMU’s profile and raising the value of an LMU degree,” Snyder wrote in a message to the university community announcing his decision. “This was how we would attract the most accomplished students, faculty, and staff. This was how we would enhance our community’s diversity to reflect the full spectrum of humankind. And this was how we would magnify our creativity. Indeed, this is how we now are igniting a brighter world.
“In challenging times, LMU’s optimism and visionary solutions have been vital in responding with purpose. Guided by our Catholic, Jesuit, and Marymount mission, we have rigorously upheld our values, ensuring that each step of our journey is purposeful and transformative. At the onset of the global pandemic, LMU innovated and persevered. Despite widespread fears of a decline in higher education during and following such a tumultuous period, the demand for an LMU education has grown stronger, evidenced by our increasingly robust enrollment and soaring demand for our distinctive educational experience.”
Prior to joining LMU, Snyder served as vice president for academic affairs at Loyola University Maryland from 2007-14. He was dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Fairfield University from 2001-07, and dean of science at Georgetown University from 1995-99.
LMU Board of Trustees Chair Paul Viviano hailed Snyder for his “visionary and impactful leadership over the past decade.”
“While we had hoped President Snyder would continue his tenure, we support his decision to retire on May 31, 2025,” Viviano wrote in a campus message. “His creative vision and leadership have transformed our great university, leaving an enduring legacy that will benefit LMU Lions and greater Los Angeles for generations.
“President Snyder’s leadership includes many significant milestones, leading the university to new heights. Despite the struggles observed across higher education, his tenure has resulted in record-breaking successes and gains in academic excellence, visibility, enrollment, financial strength and stability, fundraising, and athletics.”
Viviano said a national search will be conducted to find Snyder’s successor.