2024 Henry Paley Memorial Award
Rev. Dennis Holtschneider, C.M.
President, Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU)
Fr. Dennis Holtschneider can best be described as a warm, caring, and effective higher education leader dedicated to his faith, the mission of Catholic Colleges and Universities, the greater private nonprofit sector of the higher education eco-system and our students worldwide.
As president of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities since 2019 and chair of the NAICU Secretariat since 2022, he has been a supportive and effective partner to NAICU and a great advocate and powerful voice on Capitol Hill.
The Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities serves as the collective voice of Catholic higher education, working to strengthen and promote the Catholic identity and mission of its member institutions. The NAICU Secretariat consists of 26 organizations representing the many regional and mission-specific independent college and university associations. The NAICU Secretariat reflects the diversity in private nonprofit higher education and are important partners for federal advocacy efforts on key bills before Congress.
During the pandemic, Fr. Holtschneider worked tirelessly alongside NAICU leadership to ensure all private, nonprofit colleges and universities were equitably treated when Congress distributed $77 billion in Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds through three stimulus rounds. In addition, he has led efforts to expand the number of NAICU Secretariat members that have signed NAICU policy letters to decision makers.
A Detroit native, he earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Niagara University (NY) and studied for the priesthood at Mary Immaculate Seminary (PA) and was ordained in 1989. He went on to study at Harvard University (MA) and earned a doctorate in administration, planning, and social policy in 1997 after writing a dissertation on the early history of financial aid in the United States.
He rose through the academic ranks from director and rector of Vincentian College Seminary (NY) to faculty positions in Graduate School of Education at the University at Buffalo and St. John's University (NY) until an appointment as executive vice president and chief operating officer of his alma mater, Niagara University.
From 2004 to 2017, he served as president of DePaul University (IL), the largest Catholic college in the United States. During Fr. Holtschneider’s presidency, DePaul experienced a decade of significant growth, new levels of academic achievement and national recognition. The university established two new colleges, close to 200 new academic programs, expanded and upgraded its facilities, and raised $333 million through a capital campaign.
DePaul pioneered everything from student support services to community partnerships, garnering attention and praise throughout the higher education sector. According to one faculty member he “cultivated a spirit of innovation that permeated the university. Faculty were encouraged to innovate to stay at the forefront and keep the curriculum highly competitive.”
Beyond campus, Fr. Holtschneider personally represented DePaul on the national stage while advancing higher education by testifying before Congress and serving as a member of the board of directors of both NAICU and the American Council on Education. He also served as chair of ACCU.
He currently serves on the boards of the Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies at the University of Southern California and the National Pastoral Migratoria which provides services to recently arrived immigrants across the U.S.
The author of one book and numerous articles on U.S. higher education and Catholic higher education, he frequently consults and speaks on these topics. Fr. Holtschneider also currently lectures at Harvard on university strategy and governance.
Part of the secret to his success is an ability to make friends easily and cultivate relationships, possessing a wonderful sense of humor, and maintaining a deep commitment to all people regardless of religion or nationality. Fr. Holtschneider is the co-founder and board chair of the Institute for Global Homelessness, which addresses street homelessness worldwide in partnership with the United Nations.
Throughout his career, from faculty member to campus president to association leader, Fr. Dennis Holtschneider has embodied Henry Paley’s spirit of unfailing service toward the students and faculty of independent colleges and universities. NAICU bestows the 2024 Henry Paley Memorial Award on Fr. Dennis Holtschneider, C.M.
February 2024