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Seattle University dean retires following student protests

Seattle University students demanded the dean of the school's humanities-based college resign.

Instead, she's retiring.

Seattle University confirmed Dean Jodi Kelly's retirement in an online letter.

A group of Seattle University students held a three-week sit-in to protest Dean Kelly this spring. They wanted her out and the curriculum overhauled in the elite Matteo Ricci College.

The university placed Kelly on administrative leave after the protests.

This week, President Stephen Sundborg praised Kelly for her 32-year career at Seattle. She'll stay on as an emeritus faculty member.

This spring, the MRC Student Coalition claimed the climate at the liberal arts college was hostile for students of color and only focused on Western history. They say her retirement helps solidify their work toward changing the curriculum.

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