San Francisco State University, Established 1899, 1600 Holloway Ave. SF, CA 94132

SFSU Public Affairs Press Release

Published by the Public Affairs Office at San Francisco State University, Diag Center.

#105
Contact: Ted DeAdwyler
phone: 415/338-1665
e-mail: pubcom@sfsu.edu

SFSU TO AWARD HONORARY DEGREE TO THE REV. JOHN P. SCHLEGEL, PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO

SAN FRANCISCO, May 9, 2000 - The Rev. John P. Schlegel, president of the University of San Francisco (USF), will receive the honorary degree doctor of humane letters at San Francisco State University's commencement ceremony on May 27. Father Schlegel, a member of the Society of Jesuits, has been president of USF since 1991 and will become president of Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, at the end of this academic year.

Father Schlegel will be one of two honorary degree recipients at San Francisco State's ceremony. The other will be David F. Selvin, noted labor writer, editor, activist and teacher. Each campus of the California State University nominates recipients of honorary degrees; the degrees are formally bestowed by both the CSU and the individual campus.

SFSU nominated Father Schlegel for the degree to recognize both his personal leadership and his accomplishments at USF, which include the development of a Multicultural Action Plan and the recruitment of an increasingly diverse faculty.

"Father Schlegel has been an active and valued partner with San Francisco State and other Bay Area universities in programs that demonstrate the value of diversity and the necessity of civility and tolerance," said SFSU President Robert A. Corrigan. "He shares the values which lie at the heart of this University and demonstrates that deep religious faith can be not exclusive but must be inclusive."

San Francisco State's nomination also cited Father Schlegel's commitment to values such as open inquiry, free expression, and respect for all persons, which "hold as true for a private, church-affiliated university as for a public, urban state institution." The nomination pointed out that Father Schlegel's support for diversity and global perspective mirrors San Francisco State's own mission.

Father Schlegel came to USF as a scholar in international and comparative politics with a doctorate in international relations from Oxford University. He has held a number of major posts at leading Jesuit institutions across the country.

In the Bay Area, he has served on the boards of the World Affairs Council, Coro Foundation, California Academy of Sciences, Korean-American Friendship Society, and Commonwealth Club, among others. Among his national positions include the Board of Directors of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, Executive Committee of the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities, and the Board of Trustees of Loyola University, Chicago.

Father Schlegel's return to Creighton University will bring him full circle. He began his academic career there as a lecturer then moved up to become assistant professor, associate professor, and assistant academic vice president. His other posts have included academic dean and dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Rockhurst College, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Marquette University, and executive and academic vice president at John Carroll University.

His recent writings have included the co-authorship of a monograph, Building Wisdom's House, in 1997.

San Francisco State University is a highly diverse campus of 27,000 students and 3,500 faculty and staff. It is among the largest of the 23-campus, nationally recognized California State University.

Note to editors - A transcript of S.F. State's commencement will be posted on-line at the Office of Public Affairs home page shortly after the conclusion of commencement on May 27. SFSU's Public Affairs home page is located at http://www.sfsu.edu/~pubaff/

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