On Feb. 10, 2022, the Board of Trustees, the presidential search committee and  Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the university, unanimously elected Tania Tetlow, to be the next president of Fordham University. President-elect Tetlow will begin her time as president on July 1. However, until her inauguration in July, McShane will continue to actively serve as Fordham’s president.

Despite an almost five-month gap between the date of election and tenure, Tetlow has a long, preparatory list to complete before she begins to serve as Fordham’s president. Until her tenure begins this summer, Tetlow has been, and will continue to, attend a multitude of briefings. These meetings will touch on academic and student affairs, budgeting and finance, enrollment, facilities, public safety, fundraising, marketing and communication, as well as a variety of other topics.

She will also be informed on mission integration and planning, as well as overall briefings regarding Fordham’s different schools.

The information from these briefings is essential for Tetlow to start in the fall, and for her to continue Fordham’s legacy and mission.

These informational meetings will include McShane, Tetlow, members of the Board of Trustees, the cabinet and the deans of all of Fordham’s schools. These meetings will take place both virtually and in-person.

Because July 1 is also the first day of the new fiscal year, she has been thoroughly informed of the 2022-23 budget.
In order to ensure a smooth transition, Tetlow and McShane are in frequent contact.

According to Robert Howe, Assistant Vice President for Communications and Special Advisor to the President,  Father McShane wants to see Tetlow succeed and is doing everything to make her transition to Fordham a  seamless one.

Once students begin to return to campus in the fall, there will be a formal installation ceremony for Tetlow. Details regarding this ceremony will be sent out in September.

Tania Tetlow was named as McShane’s successor as president on Feb 10, 2022.

She will assume the office on July 1. Tetlow is currently the president of  Loyola University New Orleans, although her ties to the Fordham University community run through her from her family. Coming from a family of Jesuits, her parents were both alumni of Fordham University’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

Upon the announcement of Tetlow replacing McShane, the current president had kind words for Tetlow, saying “[she] has in abundance the qualities of leadership one needs to run a major university, among them discernment, patience, decisiveness, self-awareness and magnanimity…. Her commitment to Jesuit pedagogy and to Fordham’s Jesuit, Catholic mission is both deep and well-informed. I shall rest easy with her in the office of I have occupied for almost two decades.”

During her time at Loyola New Orleans, Tetlow is credited with helping the university achieve an economic turnaround in one of the most financially challenging times in the university’s history.

Fordham Provost Dennis Jacobs, Ph. D., had similar kind sentiments to share about Tetlow:

“Tania Tetlow brings to Fordham a powerful mix of academic accomplishments, a deep love of Jesuit education, a record of tirelessly fighting for justice, and visionary leadership in higher education… She is eager to build strategically on Fordham’s strong foundation in the liberal arts and superb graduate and professional schools.”

Jacobs continued, “Tania aspires to distinguish Fordham as an outstanding university, offering a transformative education for its students and working to build a more just and thriving New York City, nation and world.”