CHICAGO – (February 1, 2010) DePaul University President the Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider, C.M., was elected to a two-year term as chairman of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU) Board of Directors at the organization’s annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

As board chair, Father Holtschneider will preside over an organization of more than 200 national and international Catholic institutions.  He joined the board last year and brings leadership experience gained in his executive and academic roles at St. John’s University and Niagara University and since 2004 as president of DePaul University—the largest Catholic university in the United States, located in Chicago.

“Father Holtschneider brings to the role of board chair not only proven executive skills and pastoral experience, but also a studied understanding of the inner workings of Catholic higher education.  We are very fortunate to have him as the next board chair,” said Richard Yanikoski, president of the association.

A Detroit native, Father Holtschneider earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Niagara in 1985. He studied for the priesthood at Mary Immaculate Seminary in Northampton, Pa., and was ordained in 1989.  Father Holtschneider received his doctorate in administration, planning and social policy in 1997 from Harvard University.  He is a faculty member in the Management Development Program at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, a board member of the Boston College Institute for Administrators in Catholic Higher Education, a trustee of the Chicago History Museum, and a director of the Economic Club of Chicago. 

About ACCU
The Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities is a voluntary association founded in 1899 that represents more than 90 percent of accredited Catholic institutions of higher learning in the United States and nearly two dozen international universities.  Headquartered in Washington, D.C., ACCU’s principal purposes are to help member institutions strengthen their stated Catholic mission and to foster collaboration among Catholic colleges and universities. Through research, publications, conferences, consultations, special programs and standing relationships with other agencies, ACCU encourages and facilitates sharing of ideas and cooperative efforts among its member institutions.

About DePaul
With more than 25,000 students, DePaul University is the largest Catholic university in the United States and the largest private, nonprofit university in the Midwest. The university offers approximately 275 graduate and undergraduate programs of study on two Chicago campuses and four suburban and three international locations. Founded in 1898 on the Vincentian principle of access for everyone, DePaul remains committed to providing a quality education through personal attention to students from a wide range of backgrounds.