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Fr. Poorman Selected as 20th President of the University of Portland

Author: General Administration

Fr Mark Poorman, CSC

The University of Portland announced this afternoon, January 25, that Fr. Mark L. Poorman, C.S.C., had been selected by the Board of Regents to serve as the 20th president of the university, which is located in Oregon in the United States.

Fr. Poorman will succeed Rev. E. William Beauchamp, C.S.C., who will step down from the president’s position at the end of the 2013-14 academic year. Fr. Beauchamp has served as the University's president since 2003. Fr. Poorman will serve as president-elect while Fr. Beauchamp completes his tenure this spring.

Read the full press release from UP

Fr. Beauchamp, who has known Fr. Poorman since the two were in the seminary together, describes him as “a devoted Holy Cross priest, an accomplished administrator and a very popular teacher. He understands the mission of a Catholic University, and he appreciates the importance of student affairs."

Fr. Poorman has been executive vice president at University of Portland since 2011, overseeing the divisions of university operations, financial affairs, university relations, and student affairs. He also has served as a professor of theology and pastoral resident of Schoenfeldt Hall. Prior to arriving to the University of Portland, he served as vice president for student affairs, a faculty member in the theology department, and pastoral resident at the University of Notre Dame.

Read about the Congregation's charism as educators in the faith

Fr Poorman at the University of Portland

“We believe Fr. Poorman is the ideal person to build upon the foundation laid by Fr. Beauchamp and his predecessors,” said Thomas D. Arndorfer, a University regent and chair of the presidential search committee. “He will guide the University forward while remaining true to our mission of teaching and learning, faith and formation, service and leadership.”

The University of Portland is one of the Congregation's six colleges and universities in the United States. Holy Cross shares governance at its educational institutions with its lay collaborators to fulfill the Congregation's charism as Educators in the Faith.