Lynn University

Lynn University is a private university in Boca Raton, Florida, United States. Founded in 1962, the university awards associate, baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral degrees. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 3,520. History The school first opened in 1962 as Marymount College, a women's junior college founded by the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary (RSHM). In 1963, the first class was welcomed at Lynn, consisting of 96 women. From 1963 through the early 1970s, Marymount College underwent significant changes, including the addition of the institution’s first male population and campus expansion. Even with these changes, the college faced financial hardship and announced its closure by May 1972. With an interest in purchasing books from Lynn’s library, Donald E. Ross, who at the time was working for Wilmington College, visited the campus, but decided to stay and help it succeed. He later became president of the institution. A period of transition began, and the school was placed under the control of a lay board, and Donald E. Ross was named president. During his early years as president, Ross secured an agreement with Wilmington College and increased enrollment by 36%. In 1974, the name was changed to the College of Boca Raton. The college was granted accreditation at Level II in 1986. In 1988, it was accredited at Level III. During this time, it was transformed from a two-year school to a four-year college with a master's program. In September 1991, the board voted unanimously to change the institution’s name to Lynn University in honor of its benefactors. That same year, Donald Ross assembled a strategic task force to create a pathway for the future success of the university. In 1992, Lynn launched a $19.5 million fundraising campaign to support the university. Ross already opened American College Dublin in Ireland, which allowed students to study abroad. Two years later, the fundraising campaign raised 113% of its goal, providing the university the funds to bring on academic programming, construction and more. In 2003–2004, Ross was paid a salary of over $5,000,000, making him, at the time, the highest-paid college president in the nation. Lynn University retained the national accounting firm KPMG to determine an appropriate retirement compensation package for Ross, considering his performance and 35-year term of service. On October 22, 2012, the university hosted the third and final 2012 U.S. presidential debate between U.S. president Barack Obama and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney concerning U.S. foreign policy. The debate was held at the Keith C. and Elaine Johnson World Performing Arts Center and was moderated by journalist Bob Schieffer of CBS News. Academics Academic programs Lynn offers an undergraduate and graduate curriculum. Lynn offers more than 50 undergraduate degrees and 14 graduate degrees through its six colleges. Lynn's core curriculum, the Dialogues, was recognized by Inside Higher Education as an example of how colleges and universities can increase the rigor of their academic offerings and improve the comprehensive education of their students. Dialogues All undergraduate students at Lynn University complete the core curriculum the Dialogues. The core curriculum is taught through 12 courses centered on three themes: Self and Society; Justice and Civic Life; and Belief and Reason. In addition to liberal arts knowledge, the Dialogues core curriculum also focuses on skills and knowledge areas essential to the success of the 21st century student—Quantitative Reasoning and Scientific Literacy. January term All undergraduate day students must also complete the three-course requirements of the January Term (J-term). J-term is a three-week immersive program focusing on citizenship, career preparation, and language and culture. iPad initiative In 2013, Lynn launched the iPad initiative. This initiative: is applicable to all Lynn University students replaces traditional textbooks and saves students up to 90% on traditional textbook costs. features Lynn's core curriculum on e-readers enhanced with custom multimedia content. provides students with education, productivity, social and news-related iOS apps—some free and some paid for by the university. In 2016, Lynn provided all undergraduate day students and faculty with an iPad Pro, Apple Pencil, and Smart Keyboard. Athletics Lynn University's athletic teams are known as the Fighting Knights. The university is an NCAA Division II institution, the college's athletic teams participate in the Sunshine State Conference (SSC). Lynn University teams have won a total of 25 NCAA and NAIA national championships, and 47 Sunshine State Conference championships. Men's varsity sports are baseball, basketball, golf, lacrosse, soccer, tennis, swimming, cross country and track & field. Women's varsity sports include basketball, golf, and lacrosse. Notable alumni Joseph Abruzzo – Democratic member of the Florida Senate Gülşah Akkaya – Professional basketball player Jean Alexandre – Professional soccer player Tal Erel – Baseball catcher for the Israel national baseball team Kendra Erika – Musician Scott Gordon – Professional soccer player Svetlana Gounkina – Russian golfer; multiple Russian national champion; bronze medalist in the World Golfers Championship Maha Haddioui – Professional golfer and Olympian from Morocco Tommy Kahnle – Professional baseball player Lisa Kerney – Former ESPN broadcaster John McCormack – College baseball coach at Florida Atlantic Tim Melia – Professional soccer player Jared Montz – Professional soccer player Melissa Ortiz – Former player for the Colombia women's national football team Sherrexcia Rolle – Bahamian attorney and VP of operations and General Counsel of Western Air Ronald L. Rowe Jr. – Director of the United States Secret Service, 2024–2025 Rachel Wolfson – Comedian and stunt performer References External links Official website Athletics website