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). Due to financial hardship, Marymount College sought to sell the books of its library. In 1971 academic administrator Donald E. Ross visited the campus to purchase the library, but decided to stay and help it succeed. He later became president of the institution. In 1974, the name was changed to the College of Boca Raton. In 1991, the College of Boca Raton was renamed Lynn University to honor insurance magnate Eugene M. Lynn, who had provided the school with generous funding.[2]
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.[3] 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.[4]
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][6] 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.[7]
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.[8]
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.[9]
iPad initiative
In 2013, Lynn launched the iPad initiative.[10] This initiative:[11]
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.[12]
