By Stu Bobcat - St. Thomas University
MIAMI GARDENS | Msgr. Franklyn M. Casale, president of St. Thomas University, has been elected chair of the board of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU), a Washington-D.C.-based association of more than 230 member institutions.
Msgr. Franklyn Casale, president of St. Thomas University
Msgr. Casale, who was previously chair of the ACCU Investment Committee, will serve as chair for a two-year term. He succeeds James Collins, president of Loras College.
As chair, Msgr. Casale will work with president and CEO Michael Galligan-Stierle to help guide the work of the association to serve its member institutions and respond to emerging member needs. He was originally elected to the ACCU Board in 2014.
“I am honored by the prospect of working closely with ACCU’s Board of Directors and staff on behalf of Catholic institutions, their faculty and students,” said Msgr. Casale. “I look forward to the tremendous opportunity we have to serve one of the most dynamic sectors of higher education.”
Msgr. Casale became president of STU in April 1994. Prior to joining STU, he was the vicar general, chancellor and moderator of the Curia of the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey, where he also served as a member of the Board of Trustees at Seton Hall University and as a member of the Board of Trustees and executive committee at Bloomfield College.
His leadership positions in higher education associations include the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges, where he served as vice chair; Governing Board, Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities; President’s Council of Independent Colleges & Universities of Florida; Florida Association of Colleges & Universities; and Haiti-Tech, an organization he helped found that organizes and maintains a vocational/technical school in Haiti that educates over 700 students yearly.
“Msgr. Casale brings a unique blend of experience to our board,” said Galligan-Stierle. “He has worked with bishops at the highest levels, and been engaged with Catholic university leadership in various capacities. He understands the dynamic environment in which ACCU serves as ‘the collective voice of Catholic higher education,’ and can assist us in responding to multiple stakeholders.”
Msgr. Casale’s significant time leading the university also benefits ACCU. “Since taking the helm there, Msgr. Casale has transformed St. Thomas University,” Galligan-Stierle added. “In this environment in which all of higher education is being challenged to reach new levels, he has experience in enhancing university mission while advancing Catholic identity, with impressive results.”
Msgr. Casale received his Bachelor of Arts in humanities with a concentration in philosophy from Seton Hall University, a bachelor’s degree in sacred theology from the Catholic University in Washington D.C., and his Master's of Divinity from the Immaculate Conception Seminary in Darlington, New Jersey.
The Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, founded in 1899, serves as the collective voice of U.S. Catholic higher education. Through programs and services, the association strengthens and promotes the Catholic identity and mission of its member institutions so that all associated with Catholic higher education can contribute to the greater good of the world and the Church.
