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News
February 16, 2022
www.fordhamobserver.com
THE OBSERVER
Fordham Announces McShane’s Successor
Tetlow, J.D., will become the university’s 33rd president and serve as the first laywoman effective July 1, 2022 PRESIDENT from page 1
Tetlow graduated cum laude from Tulane University in 1992, where she received her Bachelor of Arts in American studies. At the same time, she graduated with honors, including being named a Harry S. Truman scholar. In 1995, she received her Juris Doctor degree from Harvard
Law School, where she graduated magna cum laude. Tetlow has served as president of Loyola University New Orleans since August 2018, where she was also the first lay president. Prior to becoming president of Loyola, she held the positions of senior vice president and chief of staff at Tulane Uni-
versity from 2015 to 2018. Tetlow has also held the positions of associate provost for international affairs at Tulane University, Felder-Fayard professor of law and director of Tulane’s domestic violence clinic. At Loyola, Tetlow launched several new academic programs that led to increased enrollment and student retention. When she arrived, Loyola was also experiencing a challenging time financially, which Tetlow was able to reverse by growing revenue and the endowment, improving its revenue, and returning the university to financial stability. “President Tetlow is beloved at Loyola for her compassionate and transparent leadership,” Daleo said in the announcement email.
“ Tania Tetlow has in
abundance the qualities of leadership one needs to run a major university, among them discernment, patience, decisiveness, self-awareness, and magnanimity. ” Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham University,
COURTESY OF FORDHAM NEWS
Tetlow and McShane strolling the Lincoln Center Campus while meeting students and getting to know the university.
While she is the first female and first non-Jesuit president, students do not know exactly what that will mean for changes at Fordham. “Honestly, I have no idea what this will change,” Yev Gelman, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’24, said. “I feel like I don’t understand the weight the president’s role has in my daily life. It’s cool we
have a woman and a non-Jesuit as the president, but I have no idea what it will change in my daily life.” McShane stated in the press conference that this is a historic moment for Fordham as “for the last 175 years, the president has always been a cleric, always worn a collar, always been a man.” While working at Tulane University, Tetlow worked on improving admissions, rankings, diversity, research strength and fundraising. She also led Tulane’s efforts to make progress on race and equity, as well as addressing sexual assault on campus. “Tania Tetlow has in abundance the qualities of leadership one needs to run a major university, among them discernment, patience, decisiveness, self-awareness, and magnanimity,” McShane said in the announcement. Although Tetlow is not a Jesuit herself, she is a member of the Fordham community. Both of her parents graduated from Fordham University, with her late father, Louis Mulry Tetlow, receiving his Ph.D. from Fordham’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) in 1974, only four years after earning his master’s at Fordham. Tetlow’s mother, Elisabeth M. Tetlow, also graduated from GSAS, receiving a master’s degrees in philosophy and theology in 1967 and 1970. Tetlow’s parents met and married at Fordham, and Tetlow was born in New York. Both Tetlow’s father and uncle were Jesuit priests. Her uncle, Joseph Tetlow, S.J., served as head of the Secretariat for Ignatian Spirituality in Rome for eight years, along with other positions, such as president of the Jesuit School of Theology. In a video message introduc-
ing Tetlow to the community, she said that her family gave her “a Jesuit education since birth.”
“ I’m glad the new
president is a woman and relieved that she has prior experience, because this school really needs it. ” Sakunthala Sankar, FCLC ’24
Tetlow is married to Gordon Stewart and has a 9-year-old daughter, Lucy, and a stepson, Noah. Sakunthala Sankar, FCLC ’24, is hopeful that a lay president with former administrative experience will benefit the university. “I’m glad the new president is a woman and relieved that she has prior experience, because this school really needs it,” she said. “I’m hoping that with a non-Jesuit with prior experience, she can actually fix a lot of the bureaucratic problems at Fordham.” Daleo ended the announcement by asking the Fordham community to give Tetlow a warm welcome, as she represents positive changes at Fordham. “This is a historic and exciting moment for Fordham,” Daleo said. “As a university that seeks to transform its students’ lives, we are preparing to be transformed by bold new leadership—leadership that will build upon Father McShane’s legacy of academic achievement and institutional growth.” Insiya Gandhi and Chloe Zelch contributed additional reporting to this story.
Fordham Provides Free KN95 Masks
The masks are available upon request from Public Safety, but students feel university could increase accessibility By ALEXA VILLATORO Contributing Writer
Fordham’s Public Safety offices are offering KN95 masks upon request to students, faculty and staff seeking a higher level of protection from COVID-19. The new policy in accordance with additional recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to use surgical KN95 and N95 masks instead of cloth ones.
“ It’s helpful that they
are saying we can provide you with them, but no one is actually doing anything about the kids not wearing masks. ”
Paulina Paszkowski, FCRH ’22
According to John Carroll, associate vice president for administration and former director of Public Safety, Fordham remains consistent with CDC, NYC Department of Health and the university’s contracted epidemiologist’s guidelines, and continues to provide the recommended mask type for free. Carroll says students, faculty and staff can request as many masks as they need.
The availability of the KN95 masks was first announced to students in a return to campus protocol email sent on Jan. 3 by Marco Valera, Fordham’s vice president for administration and COVID-19 coordinator. Further information can be found on Fordham’s COVID-19 informational page. “Initially, we provided 5 cloth masks to everyone that could be laundered; but, now the recommendation is only to use the cloth masks over the KN95, N95 and KF94,” Carroll said. “Disposable masks are now recommended over the non-disposable cloth masks originally issued last year.” Edward Garcia, Fordham College at Lincoln Center ’24, believes that Fordham could have done a better job communicating with students upon their return to campus this semester. He points to the mask policy, crowded elevators and classrooms, and the required entry test that he believes was not enforced enough. “I would say it’s their job to have these resources more accessible,” he said. Garcia suggested the university provide the masks in frequented places, such as the library, and advertise the free masks more visibly. Lucy Peterson, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’22, echoed Garcia’s concerns, saying that she “had some idea they would be passing them out.” The KN95 masks are available at Public Safety offices across the Rose Hill, Lincoln Center and
ALICE MORENO/THE OBSERVER
KN95 masks offer greater protection against COVID-19 and are available at Public Safety offices.
Westchester campuses. Masks have also been distributed to the dean’s offices across the university and to security guards. Since Valera’s Jan. 3 email, the policy has not been widely advertised by the university. Paulina Paszkowski, FCRH ’22, has been concerned about the spread of COVID-19 and the use of masks as a commuting stu-
dent. She bought her own medical-grade masks before returning to campus but still worries about contracting the virus. “It’s helpful that they are saying we can provide you with them, but no one is actually doing anything about the kids not wearing masks,” Paszkowski said. Fordham has been requiring all students and faculty to wear
masks inside of the classroom at all times. On Feb. 2, the university announced that students would be allowed to drink beverages in class. “I’m not certain if all our students are taking advantage (of the free masks),” Carroll said. “But I do know that we have ample supplies for any student, faculty or staff that desires them.”
