Congratulations to Bellarmine University President Joseph J. McGowan, who was sworn in today as the 2009 Chair of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU) at the association’s annual meeting in Washington, DC.

President McGowan has long been a strong voice for independent higher education at the local, state and national levels. We look forward to his leadership during these challenging and important times for independent colleges and universities.

Dr. McGowan was appointed as Bellarmine University’s third president in 1990.  He came to the position  having served for twenty-two years at Fordham University in New York as a vice president and dean.  Prior to that he was an admissions and financial aid officer at the University of Notre Dame.  He received his doctorate in higher education from Columbia University in New York and earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Notre Dame.  He also is a graduate of Harvard University’s Institute for Educational Management.

NAICU serves as the unified national voice of independent higher education. Since 1976, the association has represented private colleges and universities on policy issues with the federal government, such as those affecting student aid, taxation, and government regulation. NAICU serves nearly 1,000 members.