Ky Snyder

Vice President, University Operations

Ky Snyder assumed responsibility for the newly formed division of University Operations on October 1, 2016. Prior to that, Snyder was promoted to Vice President for Athletics and Facilities Management on February 27, 2015. He began the 2014-15 academic year as Associate Vice President for Athletics and Facilities Management. Snyder returned to USD in December 2003 when he was named Executive Director of Athletics. His first employment with USD came during 1990-1996 when he held the title of Director of Athletic Development. 

In his new role of directing University Operations, Snyder oversees a diverse division that includes Facilities Management; Parking Services and Campus Scheduling; Public Safety and Intercollegiate Athletics. 

Facilities Management 

Facilities Management (FM) oversees facilities planning, design, construction and maintenance, sustainability, utilities, custodial and housekeeping, special services, grounds, transportation, work management and environmental health and safety. 

Facilities Management employs 229 full- and part-time staff who maintain and repair the 180-acre campus landscape and 3.2 million square feet of space in 94 buildings. The department operates with a budget of $20 million. Over the summer of 2016, FM managed over 38 construction, renovation, and maintenance/repair projects with a total value of $34 million. 

Public Safety 

The Department of Public Safety (DPS) includes 24/7 emergency services, traffic control, special event management, dignitary protection, emergency operations management, crime prevention, and transportation services. DPS works in conjunction with the San Diego Police Department and has the primary patrol and first responder functions for all law enforcement and campus emergencies. In 2015, DPS responded to over 26,000 requests for assistance and conducted 1,324 official investigations. Tram Services transported more than 330,000 riders throughout the year across campus and between campus and the Old Town Transit Center. 

DPS works diligently to identify and reduce potential risks to the safety of the USD community in an era that experiences unprecedented campus security threats throughout the nation. An ongoing concern is the need to further enhance the physical security of the campus perimeter and campus access points. During the past year, Tram Services has identified and successfully implemented several operational improvements that have enhanced the timely and efficient delivery of campus transportation services and have marginally reduced rider wait times. 

University Scheduling and Parking Services 

The Office of University Scheduling and Parking Services has operated since 2012 as a combined administrative unit to enhance the university community’s experience of campus events by streamlining communication and maximizing space utilization. This collaboration has increased the customer's experience and has opened lines of communication among all event schedulers and service providers while simultaneously striving to eliminate multiple, conflicting events. All major events are vetted prior to approval, ensuring appropriateness of each event’s content, timing, and location in the context of the university’s mission. Priority in scheduling is given to the academic enterprise and to student groups. Master scheduling is accomplished using a new scheduling database, Event Management Systems (EMS), with support from USD’s Information Technology Services. The EMS system is a virtual calendar that provides all academic and event scheduling information to the campus community. 

Intercollegiate Athletics 

USD Athletics is a Division I member of the NCAA, which is the highest level. Nicknamed the Toreros, USD fields 17 sports. 

Men (8 sports) – basketball, baseball, cross country, football, golf, rowing, soccer, tennis

Women (9 sports) – basketball, softball, cross country, track, rowing, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, volleyball 

Our non-scholarship football program is part of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), and competes as a member of the Pioneer Football League. 

Most of our scholarship sports compete as members of the West Coast Conference, which includes Brigham Young University, Gonzaga University, Loyola Marymount University, Pepperdine University, Saint Mary’s College, University of the Pacific, University of Portland, University of San Francisco and Santa Clara University. 

Over the years, Snyder has served on the NCAA Leadership Council, Olympic Liaison Committee and Division I Football Rules Committee, in addition to chairing the WCC Executive Committee. He currently serves on the West Coast Conference Strategic Long Range Planning Cabinet, and is an Ex-Officio Board member of the San Diego Hall of Champions. He was on the Board of the San Diego Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and held the position of Corporate Chair of the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes for two years. He was honored as a 2010 Volunteer of the Year by Combined Health Agencies (CHAD) for his outstanding volunteer work with JDRF.

During Snyder's tenure, USD teams have won 30 conference championships and advanced to the postseason 58 times. For the first time in school history, all four 2014 fall teams (football, women's volleyball, women's soccer and men's soccer) advanced to the NCAA postseason. From 2008-2012 the USD athletics program won an unprecedented five straight West Coast Conference Commissioner's Cups as the top performing program in the 10-team West Coast Conference. During the 2012-13 school year, USD hosted the NCAA Division I Women's Soccer College Cup (Final Four) and opened a brand-new, state-of-the-art baseball ballpark, Fowler Park and Cunningham Field. At the 2010 NACDA Annual Convention, Snyder was the recipient of the 2009-10 FCS West Region Under Armour AD of the Year award.

Prior to returning to USD in 2004, Snyder was President of the San Diego International Sports Council, where his primary responsibility was to promote San Diego/Tijuana as the preferred region for sporting events and activities that benefit the community both economically and socially. Sports Council accomplishments during Snyder’s tenure include securing San Diego the 1997 and 1998 ESPN Summer X Games, the Suzuki Rock & Roll Marathon, the 1999 Major League Soccer All-Star Game, the Bank of America/U.S. Olympic Cup, NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball First and Second Round (2001) contests, the NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championships (2001) and Super Bowl XXXVII. In the spring of 2001, Snyder was named the President of the San Diego Super Bowl XXXVII Host Committee. He still serves as President of the San Diego Super Bowl Task Force.

Snyder was also the Executive Director of the San Diego International Sports Foundation. Prior to joining the SDISC, Snyder was the Director of Athletic Development at the University of San Diego for six years. During his first stint at USD, he was responsible for establishing the Torero Athletic Association, fundraising efforts for athletics, managing athletic special events and generating corporate sponsorship of athletics.

Snyder played football at San Diego State University. He holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a master’s in hospitality and tourism management from San Diego State University, and has studied in the master’s leadership program at the University of San Diego. Additionally, Snyder is a graduate of the Harvard Graduate School of Education's Institute of Educational Management. Snyder, who has been a San Diego resident for 33 years, has a very athletic family.

His wife, Sue, was a former standout member of the United States women’s national volleyball team who played at San Diego State and also coached the Aztecs and University of San Diego's women’s volleyball teams. In addition, Snyder’s father, Lester, held the position as President of the United States Tennis Association.

The Snyders, who reside in Poway, have three children — son Riley, and daughters Sydney and Cammy.