Former President Yellen Candidate for Provost at Loyola University New Orleans
Former President of Marist College, David Yellen, was recently one of three candidates for provost and senior vice president of academic affairs of Loyola University New Orleans, a private Jesuit university in Louisiana.
In a Dec. 5 article by The Maroon, Loyola University New Orleans’ student newspaper, Yellen said that his “decision to leave the presidency after three years and focus on being a professor at Marist was due to the ‘culture’ of the administration.’”
On Jan. 15, the University named Tanuja Singh, former business dean at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas, as the new provost.
Yellen became President of Marist College in July 2016, succeeding President Emeritus Dennis Murray, who had held the position for 37 years prior. Yellen mentioned this during a town hall-type meeting with Loyola University students and faculty to meet the presidential provosts, according to Rose Wagner, The Maroon’s Managing Editor.
In the article Yellen is quoted, “The board chose to create a job for him that people who are experts in university governance would tell you there should not be a role like this for someone when you have a new president...My three years there were not a quiet time. We were doing a lot of big changes. and even some small symbolic things got the ire of some of the old guard.”
The article continued, “Yellen said even his decision to put the university logo on the football field caused a ‘schism’ in support for his presidency.”
Since Yellen became the fourth President of Marist College in July 2016, his administration carried out a five-year strategic plan, the opening of a Marist location in midtown Manhattan, and launched Marist’s first doctoral program: the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program. In September 2018, Yellen announced the opening of the Marist Health Quest School of Medicine.
In June 2019, Ross Mauri, Chair of the Board of Trustees stated that “we wish David and Leslie the best as they embark on this new chapter in their lives.” According to an official statement by Marist, Yellen would take a sabbatical following his resignation and then pursue other leadership positions in higher education.
“First, we don’t know if the quotes attributed to David Yellen in the article were accurate,” said President Dennis Murray in an email statement to Marist Circle.
David Yellen could not be reached for comment. Marist Circle has contacted multiple college officials regarding the statements about Yellen's status but no verification has been made at this time.
“Second, while I’m not familiar with the specific circumstances he references, I am confident that the Marist Board of Trustees made their decisions in the best interest of the College,” said Murray.
“My focus now is on the future of Marist College and taking the steps necessary to strengthen our institution,” said Murray.