SEATTLE — Jodi Kelly, the dean of the Matteo Ricci College of Seattle University has retired.
On the school’s website, the school president wrote a letter that announced Kelly’s retirement on Thursday. However, she was appointed as an emeritus faculty member.
In the online letter, Kelly was praised for her passion for teaching.
Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,I am writing to share that Dean Jodi Kelly has retired from the university. I have also appointed her to the emeriti faculty for her many years of distinguished service.Dean Kelly is well respected within our community and region. Her passion for teaching and commitment to Jesuit education is unsurpassed. I am grateful for the devotion and dedication she brought to Matteo Ricci College, Seattle University and our mission.In 1984, Dean Kelly began her time at Seattle University as Assistant Dean in Matteo Ricci College. She was promoted to Associate Dean in 1996 and served two stints as acting dean and two as interim dean before being appointed dean of Matteo Ricci on January 2, 2012. She was recognized as Outstanding Faculty Member of the Year in 2011 and inducted into Alpha Sigma Nu in 2015.During her tenure, Dean Kelly founded the Poverty Education Center, oversaw the rollout of the leadership degree and the addition of a Humanities minor and a Specialization in Elementary Education and forged a partnership with the Jesuit Virtual Learning Academy to open the college to the world of online learning and prospective students.I leave you with some words of reflection from Dean Kelly:I discovered the truth in the adage-Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life. I leave with gratitude for the opportunity to have served the students and alumni of Matteo Ricci College for 40 years and I deeply appreciate the colleagues who supported me in that work.Sincerely,Stephen V. Sundborg, S.J.President
The Seattle Times reports the announcement comes on the heels of Kelly being placed on administrative leave from the college, which houses humanities studies.
Some university students held a 22-day sit-in demanding changes to the college’s curriculum, which they pointed out was geared towards western history.
Students also called for Kelly’s resignation.
Cox Media Group
