Tag: Hiring & Retention

Transitions: Johnson C. Smith U. Names New President; U. of California at Berkeley Chancellor to Retire

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Designs By JK
Valerie Kinloch, dean of the School of Education at the U. of Pittsburgh, has been named president of Johnson C. Smith U.

CHIEF EXECUTIVES
Appointments
Michael Bernstein, former provost and senior vice president for academic affairs and interim president of Stony Brook University, has been named interim president of the College of New Jersey.

Deborah Casey, vice president for student affairs at Green River College, in Washington, has been named president of Wor-Wic Community College, in Maryland.

Christopher Davis, a member of the Board of Trustees for LeMoyne-Owen College, has been named interim president. He replaces Vernell A. Bennett-Fairs, who has resigned.

Kristine Dillon, a senior adviser for higher education at Huron Consulting and a former member of the Board of Trustees at Whittier College, has been named interim president of Whittier College.

Amanuel Gebru, vice president for instruction at Moorpark College, has been named president of Los Angeles City College.

Kayla Hale, vice president for university advancement and alumni engagement at the University of Tulsa, has been named president of the University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma.

Tony Hawkins, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, continuing education, and work-force development at Frederick Community College, in Maryland, has been named president of the State University of New York Broome Community College.

Stacia Haynie, a professor in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and former executive vice president and provost at Louisiana State University, has been named the sole finalist for president of Midwestern State University.

Valerie Kinloch, dean of the School of Education at the University of Pittsburgh, has been named president of Johnson C. Smith University.

Julie Kornfeld, vice provost for academic programs at Columbia University, will become president of Kenyon College, in Ohio, in October.

Lester Edgardo Sandres Rápalo, provost and vice president for academic affairs at the City University of New York Bronx Community College, has been named president of Rockland Community College.

Mary Evans Sias, a member of the Board of Regents for Texas Southern University, has been named interim president of the university.

Resignations
Ty Stone, president of Cleveland State Community College, has resigned after a year in the role.

Retirements
Carol Christ, chancellor of the University of California at Berkeley since 2017, plans to retire next year.

Marc Nigliazzo, president of Texas A&M University-Central Texas, will retire on August 31.

Kevin Satterlee, president of Idaho State University, will retire at the end of this calendar year.

J. Scott Angle

CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICERS
Appointments
J. Scott Angle, senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources at the University of Florida, has been named interim provost.

Prabu David, vice provost for faculty and academic staff development, interim vice provost for teaching and learning innovation, and dean of the College of Communication Arts and Sciences at Michigan State University, has been named provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Ana Hunt, interim provost and former interim chancellor of the University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical College, has been named provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs.

Leamor Kahanov, provost and vice president for academic affairs and chief academic officer at Stockton University, has been named senior vice president and provost at Alvernia University.

Joan Saab, a professor of art history and executive vice provost for academic affairs at the University of Rochester, has been named executive vice president for academic affairs and provost at the University of Richmond.

Pamela E. Scott-Johnson, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Monmouth University, has been named provost at Spelman College.

Resignations
Alicia Bertone, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, has stepped down.

Retirements
Chuck Taber, provost and executive vice president at Kansas State University, will retire at the end of the 2023 fall semester.

OTHER TOP ADMINISTRATORS
Appointments
Nicole Albo-Lopez, interim vice chancellor for educational programs and institutional effectiveness for the Los Angeles Community College District, has been named to the post permanently.

Shantay Bolton, executive vice chancellor for administration and chief administrative officer at Washington University in St. Louis, has been named executive vice president for administration and finance and chief business officer at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Dedric Carter, vice chancellor and chief commercialization officer and a professor of practice in the McKelvey School of Engineering and Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis, has been named vice chancellor for innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic development and chief innovation officer at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Joel Curran, vice president for public affairs and communications at the University of Notre Dame, has been named senior vice president and chief communications officer at the University of Southern California.

Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach, director of the Institute for Policy Research and a professor of human development and social policy at Northwestern University, has been named senior adviser to the president for academic excellence and associate provost at the University of Florida.

Geraldine Sullivan, associate vice president for human resources in the School of Medicine at Yale University, has been named chief human resources officer at the University of Richmond.

Resignations
Phyllis Carter, associate vice chancellor and chief financial officer for the Contra Costa Community College District, in California, has resigned after being placed on administrative leave.

DEANS
Appointments
Bruce W. Berdanier, dean of the Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering at South Dakota State University, has been named dean of the College of Engineering and Sciences at Purdue University Northwest.

Cathy J. Bradley, associate dean of research at the Colorado School of Public Health and deputy director of the University of Colorado Cancer Center at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, has been named dean of the School of Public Health.

Stephanie B. Caulder

Stephanie B. Caulder, dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Radford University, in Virginia, has been named founding dean of the College of Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

Steven Dubinett, who has served as the interim dean of the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California at Los Angeles since 2021, has been named to the post permanently.

Melissa Falk, dean of admission and financial aid at Muhlenberg College, has been named associate vice president and dean of admission at the University of Richmond.

Roland Faller, executive associate dean in the College of Engineering at the University of California at Davis, has been named dean of the Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering at Texas Tech University.

Mary Margaret Frank, senior associate dean of faculty development at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, has been named dean of the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

José García-León, dean of academic affairs and assessment at the Juilliard School, in New York, has been named dean of the School of Music at Yale University.

Bertie Greer, associate dean of the Mike Ilitch School of Business at Wayne State University, has been named dean of the Manning School of Business at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell.

Marcus Hayes, a professor and chair of the department of theater and dance at Austin Peay State University, in Tennessee, has been named dean of the new Creative School at DePauw University, in Indiana.

Michelle Jackson, associate dean of academic affairs at Broward College, has been named dean of liberal arts at Wake Tech Community College.

Ashish K. Jha will return to his post as dean of the School of Public Health at Brown University after serving as White House COVID-19 response coordinator.

Barbara Jones, associate dean of health affairs in the Steve Hicks School of Social Work and chair of the department of health social work in the Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin, has been named dean of the School of Social Work at Boston University.

Deanna Kennedy, associate dean of academics in the School of Business at the University of Washington at Bothell, has been named dean of the College of Business and Economics at Western Washington University.

Anuj Mehrotra, dean of the School of Business at George Washington University, has been named chair and dean of the Scheller College of Business at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Sam Panarella, a professor of law and executive director of the Max Baucus Institute at the University of Montana, has been named dean of the School of Law at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth.

Ah-Hyung (Alissa) Park, a professor of climate change and chair of the department of earth and environmental engineering at Columbia University, has been named dean of the Samueli School of Engineering at the University of California at Los Angeles.

Christopher Schuh, a professor of materials science and engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has been named dean of the Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science at Northwestern University.

Monika Williams Shealey, senior vice president for diversity, equity, and inclusion at Rowan University, has been named dean of the College of Education and Human Development at Temple University.

Cameron B. Wesson, a professor of anthropology and special adviser to the president at Franklin & Marshall College, has been named dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at La Salle University.

Heather Woofter

Heather Woofter, director of the College of Architecture and the Graduate School of Architecture and Urban Design at Washington University in St. Louis, has been named dean of the School of Architecture at the University of Texas at Austin.

OTHER ADMINISTRATORS
Appointments
Derrick Brooms, associate department head of Africana studies and a professor of Africana studies and sociology at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, has been named executive director of the Black Men’s Research Institute at Morehouse College.

Brittini Brown, associate vice president for student affairs at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, has been named associate vice provost for student engagement and dean of students at the Johns Hopkins University.

Leah P. Hollis, a faculty member in the department of advanced studies, leadership, and policy at Morgan State University, has been named associate dean of access, equity, and inclusion in the College of Education at Pennsylvania State University.

Anthony Abraham Jack, a sociologist and assistant professor in the Graduate School of Education at Harvard University, has been named an associate professor of higher-education leadership in the Wheelock College of Education and Human Development at Boston University and faculty director of its Newbury Center.

Tiffany Mfume, associate vice president for student success and retention at Morgan State University, has been named associate vice provost for student success and retention initiatives at the Johns Hopkins University.

Jacqueline M. Reese, associate director of student-access services at Emory University, has been named ombuds at Bowdoin College.

Retirements
Alice Griffin, director of curriculum review and program assessment at the University of Arkansas, retired on June 30 after almost 20 years at the university.

Jodi Koste, university archivist and senior curator for health sciences in the Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries, has retired.

DEATHS
David M. Bartley, a former president of Holyoke Community College, in Massachusetts, died on June 13. He was 88.

David Calleo, a professor emeritus of European and Eurasian studies at the Johns Hopkins University, died on June 15. He was 88. Calleo also taught at Brown and Yale Universities.

John B. Goodenough, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin, died on June 25. He was 100. Goodenough is known for the development of the lithium-ion battery and received the 2019 Nobel Prize in chemistry.

Harry M. Markowitz, a professor of finance in the Rady School of Management at the University of California at San Diego, died on June 22. He was 95. Markowitz received the 1990 Nobel Prize in economic science, shared with Merton H. Miller and William F. Sharpe, while he was a professor at Baruch College of the City University of New York.

Henry Petroski, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Duke University, died on June 14. He was 81.

Catherine Pope, associate vice chancellor for strategic operations and planning at the University of Pittsburgh and the university’s first full-time Title IX coordinator, died of colon cancer on May 23. She was 49.

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Julia Piper

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July 7, 2023
Transitions: New Presidents on 3 California State U. Campuses

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Salvador Hector Ochoa, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at San Diego State U., has been named president of Texas A&M U. at San Antonio.

CHIEF EXECUTIVES
Appointments
Rodney D. Bennett, a former president of the University of Southern Mississippi, has been named the priority candidate for the next chancellor of the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.

Amy Bosley, vice president for institutional planning, development, and chief of staff at Valencia College, in Florida, has been named president of Northwest Vista College, in Texas.

Elizabeth R. Cantwell, senior vice president for research and innovation at the University of Arizona, has been named president of Utah State University.

Torie Jackson, interim president of West Virginia University at Parkersburg, has been named to the post permanently.

Todd G. Lamb, a former lieutenant governor of Oklahoma, has been named president of the University of Central Oklahoma.

Ming-Tung (Mike) Lee, has been named president of Sonoma State University, in California, after serving as interim president since August.

Elder Alvin (Trip) F. Meredith III, president of the Utah Salt Lake City South Mission, has been named president of Brigham Young University-Idaho.

Salvador Hector Ochoa, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at San Diego State University, has been named president of Texas A&M University at San Antonio.

Stephen Perez, interim provost and vice president for academic affairs at California State University at Chico, has been named president.

Kimberly Rogers, has been named president of Contra Costa College, after serving as acting president of the California college since June 2022.

J. Luke Wood, vice president for student affairs and campus diversity and chief diversity officer at San Diego State University, has been named president of California State University at Sacramento.

Resignations
Venkat Reddy, chancellor of the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, will step down and return to the faculty after serving for the next year as an adviser for special projects to the University of Colorado president.

Roderick Smothers, president of Philander Smith College, will step down after eight years leading the Arkansas college.

Ivy Taylor, president of Rust College, in Mississippi, left the position after less than three years.

Jack Thomas, president of Central State University, in Ohio, will step down in June. He will join the faculty after a sabbatical.

Retirements
Algie Gatewood, president of Alamance Community College, in North Carolina, plans to retire on July 1.

Elsa M. Núñez, president of Eastern Connecticut State University since 2006, will retire.

David Wippman, president of Hamilton College, in New York, will retire next year.

Carol Ash

CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICERS
Appointments
Carol Ash, dean of the School of Health, Wellness, and Public Safety at Central New Mexico Community College, has been named vice president for academic affairs and work-force development at Southwest Tennessee Community College.

Lance Nail, dean of the Robert C. Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship at the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley, has been named provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at the University of Southern Mississippi.

Alan Sams, has been named as provost and vice president for academic affairs for the Texas A&M University system after serving as interim provost.

Tricia Serio, provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, has been named provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at the University of Washington.

Resignations
Jeffrey Duerk, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost at the University of Miami, in Florida, will step down in July.

OTHER TOP ADMINISTRATORS
Appointments
Joel Costa, senior vice president for investment management at UnitedHealthcare, has been named chief financial officer and vice president for administration at Bethel University, in Minnesota.

Denise J. Jamieson, a professor and chair of the department of gynecology and obstetrics at Emory University’s School of Medicine and chief of gynecology and obstetrics for Emory Healthcare, has been named vice president for medical affairs and dean of the Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine at the University of Iowa.

Lori Seager, associate vice president for finance at Colorado College, has been named vice president for finance and chief financial officer.

Charles A. (Chuck) Wright III, chief development officer for the hunger-relief organization Philabundance, in Philadelphia, has been named vice president for development and vice chancellor for advancement at Rutgers University at Camden.

Resignations
Ruth Johnston, vice chancellor and chief operating officer at New Mexico State University, will step down at the end of June.

DEANS
Appointments
Badia Ahad, vice provost for faculty affairs and a professor of English at Loyola University Chicago, has been named dean of Oxford College of Emory University.

Matthew Ando, associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, has been named dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Ohio University.

Jeff Borden, vice provost for learning experience at National University, in California, has been named dean of the School of Leadership Studies at Gonzaga University, in Washington.

Juan Casas, interim dean of graduate studies at University of Nebraska at Omaha, has been named to the post permanently.

Laura Curran, vice provost for faculty affairs at Rutgers University at New Brunswick, has been named dean of the School of Social Work at the University of Connecticut.

Azim Eskandarian, department head and professor of mechanical engineering in the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech, has been named dean of the College of Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Patrick Fox, head of the department of civil and environmental engineering in the College of Engineering at Pennsylvania State University at University Park, has been named dean of the Russ College of Engineering and Technology at Ohio University.

Kenn Gaither, interim dean of the School of Communications at Elon University, in North Carolina, has been named to the post permanently.

Grant Gosselin, director of undergraduate admission at Boston College, has been named dean of undergraduate admission and financial aid.

Cathy Horn, interim dean of the College of Education at the University of Houston, has been named to the post permanently.

Susan Kelly-Weeder, associate dean for graduate programs in the Connell School of Nursing at Boston College, has been named dean of the School of Nursing at George Washington University.

Andrew R. Klein, interim chancellor of Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis and executive vice president at Indiana University, has been named dean of the Wake Forest University School of Law.

Sheryl Long, dean of graduate and professional studies and director of teacher education and graduate studies in education at Salem College, has been named dean of the School of Education, Health, and Human Sciences at Meredith College. Both colleges are in North Carolina.

Benjamin J. Lough, a professor of social work with an appointment as a professor of business administration in the Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, has been named dean of the School of Social Work.

Farzin Madjidi, who has served since August 2022 as interim dean of the Graduate School of Education and Psychology at Pepperdine University, in California, has been named to the post permanently.

Celia Marshik, has been named dean of the Graduate School and vice provost for graduate and professional education at Stony Brook University, part of the State University of New York, after serving in the post in an interim capacity since May 2022.

Pamela McCauley, associate dean of academic programs, diversity, equity, and inclusion in the Wilson College of Textiles at North Carolina State University, has been named dean of the School of Engineering at Widener University, in Pennsylvania.

Ryan F. Morgan, an associate professor and department head for chemistry, geosciences, and physics at Tarleton State University, in Texas, has been named dean of graduate studies and the School of Business, Math, and Science at Chadron State College, in Nebraska.

Deborah Nelson, chair of the department of English language and literature at the University of Chicago, has been named dean of the Division of Humanities.

Keith Russell, chair of the department of health and human development at Western Washington University, has been named dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Nicole S. Sampson, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Stony Brook University, part of the State University of New York, has been named dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Rochester.

Matt Skillen, dean of faculty and associate provost for student learning at Elizabethtown College, in Pennsylvania, has been named assistant provost and dean of faculty at McPherson College, in Kansas.

Patricia Timmons-Goodson, co-chair of the board of the North Carolina Justice Center and a retired associate justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court, has been named dean of the School of Law at North Carolina Central University.

Resignations
Jamal J. Rossi, dean of the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester, will step down after the 2023-24 academic year.

OTHER ADMINISTRATORS
Appointments
Becky Bangs, director of equal-opportunity investigations and deputy Title IX coordinator in the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access at Oregon State University, has been named executive director of the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access and Title IX coordinator.

Josh Dunn, chair of the department of political science at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, has been named the first executive director of the Institute of American Civics at the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.

Doug Lombardi, an associate professor in the department of human development and quantitative methodology in the College of Education at the University of Maryland at College Park, has been named associate dean for faculty affairs.

Sheena Stewart, director and assistant clinical professor in the department of educational foundations in Auburn University’s College of Education, has been named director of professional development for the university’s Graduate School.

Ryan Zerr, an associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of North Dakota, has been named associate vice president for strategy and implementation.

Resignations
Mike Bohn, athletics director at the University of Southern California, has resigned after criticism of his management of the department in addition to complaints over his comments about female colleagues.

DEATHS
Sister Candace Introcaso, president of La Roche University, in Pennsylvania, died on May 22. She became president of the university in 2004.

Brian R. Judd, a professor emeritus of physics and astronomy at the Johns Hopkins University, died on April 8. He was 92.

Robert E. Lucas Jr., a professor emeritus of economics at the University of Chicago, died on May 15. He was 85. In 1995, Lucas received the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences.

Rosalie M. Mirenda, president emerita of Neumann University, in Pennsylvania, died on May 13. She was 85.

Robert J. Zimmer, chancellor emeritus and former president of the University of Chicago, died on May 23. He was 75. Zimmer led the college from 2006 to 2021, when he transitioned to the role of chancellor.

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Julia Piper

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June 9, 2023
Tenure and DEI Changes Loom Large in Texas. Here Are 3 Takeaways From a Marathon Hearing.

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When Texas lawmakers scheduled a hearing this week about two bills that could alter tenure and eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion offices, the higher-ed community had a lot to say.

Hundreds of witnesses — mostly faculty members, as well as some administrators and students — showed up to testify on SB 17 and SB 18 before the Higher Education Committee in the Texas House of Representatives. The event lasted over 10 hours and didn’t adjourn until 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday.

Both bills are a part of a landslide of legislation introduced this year to reform higher education in Texas, including efforts to prohibit diversity training and ban the instruction of certain topics related to race and gender, among other priorities.

Tenure elimination in particular has been a key legislative priority for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a Republican, who has previously said that some professors “hide behind” tenure in an effort to “continue blatantly advancing their agenda of societal division.” The Texas Senate voted last month to get rid of tenure for new faculty hires.

A different version of SB 18 emerged at the hearing on Monday, and the tenure ban was gone. State Rep. John Kuempel, a Republican and chair of the Higher Education Committee in the House, said the substitute reflects that faculty tenure is a necessity for the state’s colleges to remain competitive.

Instead, the new legislation would require in-depth performance reviews for all tenured faculty members at least once every six years. The proposal echoes an effort in Florida to revamp post-tenure review, which has drawn criticism.

Meanwhile, to the proposed ban on diversity offices, in SB 17, lawmakers have added some exceptions — allowing colleges’ governing boards to approve diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts that are required for federal grants or accreditation.

No witnesses spoke in favor of the tenure bill. Two voiced support for the diversity-office ban.

Here’s what else people had to say at the hearing.

As The Chronicle reported last week, even the prospect of eliminating or weakening tenure has already affected faculty recruitment and retention.

Julie McCormick Weng , an assistant professor of English at Texas State University, said colleagues are going on the job market because they fear pursuing a long-term career in a state that does not support tenure. The revised bill, Weng added, still sends a message that the Texas Legislature believes there is an issue at the state’s colleges that requires state intervention.

“The mere optics of this bill are already having a detrimental effect on our universities and their reputations,” Weng said. “If any version of this bill is passed, I worry that it would result in a profound faculty exodus.”

“We all want greater political diversity in higher education. Please do not eliminate” the protection of tenure.

Other faculty members said they had seen competitive candidates drop out of the hiring processes at Texas universities because of SB 18.

“People turn down jobs for lots of reasons, but from what these candidates told me, the uncertainty around tenure was a big factor in our failure to hire this year,” said Daniel Brinks, chair of the government department at the University of Texas at Austin.

Brinks said he’d made job offers to six candidates for two faculty openings this year, and all six declined. Another professor in the department informed Brinks last week that he’d be leaving.

While lawmakers have moved away from banning tenure for now, the list of reasons to fire tenured faculty are vague and confusing in the new House version of the bill.

That bill proposes that tenured faculty may be dismissed for exhibiting “professional incompetence,” engaging in “unprofessional conduct that adversely affects the institution,” and violating university policies, among other things.

Brian L. Evans, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, and president of the campus chapter of the Association of American University Professors, said he welcomed the changes in the bill but stressed that the language around dismissal of tenured professors needs to be clarified.

“‘Violating university policies’ could be a reason for dismissal, so we’re concerned that could be used in all kinds of ways — many unforeseen,” Evans said.

Stephen McKeown, an assistant professor of mathematics at the University of Texas at Dallas, said he worried the vague language in the revised SB 18 could be used to fire conservative faculty members who speak up about their beliefs. Tenure, McKeown said, is “vital” for conservative faculty members, because most of the people who make hiring and firing decisions on college campuses lean to the left politically.

“We all want greater political diversity in higher education,” McKeown said. “Please do not eliminate this protection.”

The state’s colleges will continue promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion even without designated offices.

College administrators who were invited to testify by the committee said that SB 17 may require universities to take a different approach, but the administrators stressed that they are committed to diversifying their campuses and supporting students.

Michael R. Williams chancellor of the University of North Texas system, said that while the majority of the system’s campuses do not have their own DEI offices, that has not stopped them from pursuing diversity, equity, and inclusion.

“This is the path that we’re on regardless,” Williams said.

LaToya Smith, vice president for diversity and community engagement at the University of Texas at Austin, said it is hard to say what the impact of the bill would be if passed.

“There could be a chilling effect,” Smith said. “There could be potential issues with recruiting students.”

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Eva Surovell

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May 9, 2023
Transitions: New President Named at U. of Oregon; First Woman Selected to Lead Bowdoin College

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John Karl Scholz, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the U. of Wisconsin at Madison, has been named president of the U. of Oregon.

CHIEF EXECUTIVES
Appointments
William J. Bisset, vice president for enrollment management and student affairs at Marymount University, has been named president of Lourdes University.

Ann E. Cudd, provost and senior vice chancellor at the University of Pittsburgh, has been named president of Portland State University.

J. Kyle Dalpe, interim president of Western Nevada College, has been named to the post permanently.

Christopher Dougherty, an associate professor of business and former vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty at Chestnut Hill College, in Pennsylvania, has been named president of Madonna University, in Michigan.

Christopher Heigle, vice president for student affairs at Arkansas Northeastern College, has been named president.

Patrick Jacobson-Schulte, interim president of Briar Cliff University since July 2022, has been named to the post permanently.

William Kennedy, vice president for admissions and athletics at Midway University, in Kentucky, has been named president of Andrew College, in Georgia.

Cheryl A. McConnell, interim president of Saint Joseph’s University, in Pennsylvania, has been named to the post permanently. She will become the first woman to serve as permanent president of the university.

James Moore has been named president of West Virginia Wesleyan College after serving as interim president since February 2022.

Andreia Nebel, vice president for academic affairs at Clarkson College, in Nebraska, has been named president of the college.

Aparna Dileep-Nageswaran Palmer, vice president for the Boulder County Campus and interim vice president for the Larimer County Campus of Front Range Community College, in Colorado, has been named chancellor of the University of Alaska Southeast.

Stuart Rayfield, vice chancellor for leadership and institutional development at the University System of Georgia, has been named president of Columbus State University.

Laura A. Rosenbury, dean of the Levin College of Law at the University of Florida, has been named president of Barnard College.

John Karl Scholz, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, has been named president of the University of Oregon.

Aondover Tarhule, vice president for academic affairs and provost at Illinois State University, has been named interim president.

John Wesley Taylor V, an associate director of education at the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, has been chosen as the next president of Andrews University.

Safa Zaki, dean of the faculty and a professor of psychology at Williams College, has been named president of Bowdoin College. She will be the first woman to lead the institution.

Resignations
Gregory T. Busch, president of Mesalands Community College, in New Mexico, has resigned.

Raymond E. Crossman, president of Adler University since 2003, plans to step down at the end of the next academic year.

Thomas Hudson, president of Jackson State University, in Mississippi, has resigned after being placed on administrative leave.

William Shiell, president of Northern Seminary since 2016, has resigned. John Bowling, former president of Olivet Nazarene University, has been named acting president.

CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICERS
Appointments
Amir Dabirian, vice president for information technology and chief information officer at California State University at Fullerton, has been named provost and vice president for academic affairs at the university.

Ibrahim Boran
Joseph R. Franco

Joseph R. Franco, interim provost at Pace University, has been named provost and executive vice president for academic affairs.

KerryAnn O’Meara, a professor of higher education and special assistant to the provost for strategic initiatives at the University of Maryland at College Park, has been named vice president for academic affairs, provost, and dean of Teachers College, Columbia University.

Resignations
Pardis Mahdavi, provost and executive vice president of the University of Montana at Missoula, will step down at the end of the semester.

OTHER TOP ADMINISTRATORS
Appointments
Larry Brandolph, interim vice president for information technology at Temple University, has been named to the post permanently.

Endia DeCordova, vice chancellor for advancement at Rutgers University at Camden, has been named vice president for institutional advancement at Morgan State University and executive director of the Morgan State University Foundation Inc.

Wilson Garone, vice president and chief financial officer at Seattle University, has been named vice president for finance and administration at Santa Clara University, in California.

Kevin Hoeft, a former director of education-policy development in the Florida Department of Education, has been named vice president for enrollment management at New College of Florida.

Jake Lemon, president and chief executive of the UConn Foundation at the University of Connecticut, has been named vice president for philanthropy and alumni engagement at the University of Kentucky.

Courtney McKenna, associate vice president for organizational development at Wentworth Institute of Technology, has been named vice president for student affairs.

D’Andra Mull, vice president for student life at the University of Florida, has been named vice chancellor for student affairs at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Thiadora Pina, a clinical professor and director of the externship program in the Santa Clara University School of Law, has been named the school’s first senior director for diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Ellen Reynolds, interim vice president for student affairs at the University of Rhode Island, has been named to the post permanently.

Benjamin E. Rohdin, interim vice president for enrollment management and student success and associate vice president for enrollment management and student success at New Jersey City University, has been named vice president for enrollment management at LaGuardia Community College of the City University of New York.

La’Leatha Spillers

La’Leatha Spillers, chief advancement officer for the YWCA West Central Michigan, has been named vice president for marketing and communications at Calvin University.

Kumble Subbaswamy, departing chancellor of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, has been named interim senior vice president for academic and student affairs and equity for the University of Massachusetts system.

Kathryn Svinarich, associate provost and dean of the College of Science and Liberal Arts at Kettering University, has been named chief of staff.

Eric Young, director of undergraduate admissions at Walsh University, has been named vice president for enrollment at Malone University, in Ohio.

Retirements
Ellen Taylor, vice chancellor for student affairs at Washington State University at Pullman, plans to retire in December.

DEANS
Appointments
Kristina K. Bethea Odejimi, dean of students at Bowdoin College, has been named dean of students and associate vice president for belonging, engagement, and community at Emory University.

James Buss, dean of the Honors College at Northern Kentucky University, has been named dean of the Honors College at Ball State University.

Darryl Butt, dean of the College of Mines and Earth Sciences and director of the Multi-Scale Fluid-Solid Interactions in Architected and Natural Materials Energy Frontier Research Center at the University of Utah, has been named dean of the university’s Graduate School.

Kelly Chandler-Olcott, interim dean of the School of Education at Syracuse University, has been named to the post permanently.

David De Cremer, a professor of management and organization in the Business School at the National University of Singapore, has been named dean of the D’Amore-McKim School of Business at Northeastern University.

Elaine Gagliardi, interim dean of the Alexander Blewett III School of Law at the University of Montana since June 2022, has been named to the post permanently.

John W. Miller Jr., dean of curriculum and senior diversity officer at St. Norbert College, has been named dean of the Raymond A. Kent School of Social Work and Family Science at the University of Louisville.

Behzad Mortazavi, chair and professor of biological sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Alabama, has been named dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Syracuse University.

Brittany Schaffer, head of artist and label partnerships in Nashville for Spotify, has been named the first female dean of the Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business at Belmont University, in Tennessee.

Edward Thomas Jr., interim dean of the College of Sciences and Mathematics at Auburn University, has been named to the post permanently.

Fabrice Veron, interim dean of University of Delaware’s College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment, has been named dean of the college.

Dlynn Armstrong Williams, head of the department of political science and international affairs at the University of North Georgia, has been named dean of the College of Behavioral and Health Sciences at Austin Peay State University.

Resignations
Ed Kelley, dean of the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Oklahoma since 2016, plans to resign.

Retirements
Linda Petrosino, dean of the School of Health Sciences and Human Performance at Ithaca College, plans to retire.

OTHER ADMINISTRATORS
Appointments
Gloria DiFulvio, undergraduate program director for the public-health-sciences major in the School of Public Health and Health Science at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, has been named associate dean for undergraduate academic affairs.

Johnson Eapen, associate vice president for human resources at Franklin and Marshall College, has been named associate vice president for human resources at Alvernia University.

Rodmon King, dean of institutional equity and inclusion at Connecticut College, has been named assistant dean for diversity, inclusion, and belonging in the School of Public Health and Health Science at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Taylor Ogden, director of development at the Orchard School in Indianapolis, has been named director of development at Franklin College.

Jordan Pascucci, associate dean of evaluation and selection at the University of Pennsylvania, has been named vice dean and director of admissions.

Dina Refki, director of the Center for Women in Government and Civil Society at the University at Albany, has been named executive director of the Institute on Immigrant Integration Research and Policy at the State University of New York.

Kristina Wong Davis, former vice provost for enrollment management at Purdue University, has been named vice provost for enrollment management at Carnegie Mellon University.

Corey Zink, executive director of academic advising and assessment in the Division of Student Affairs at Idaho State University, has been named associate vice president for enrollment management.

Resignations
Roderick Perry, director of athletics at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis, will step down.

ORGANIZATIONS
Appointments
Frank Dooley, chancellor of Purdue Global, has been elected to the board of directors of the American Council on Education.

Kara D. Freeman, senior vice president and chief operating officer of the American Council on Education, has been named president and chief executive of the National Association of College and University Business Officers.

Gabriella Gómez, deputy director of policy and finance for U.S. program policy and communications at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, has been named executive vice president for policy, advocacy, and communications at Strada Education Network.

DEATHS
Francisco Ayala, a former professor of biological sciences and philosophy at the University of California at Irvine, died on March 3. He was 88. Ayala resigned from the university in 2018 after multiple sexual-harassment allegations against him.

Larry G. Coleman, a former director of multicultural affairs at the Community College of Baltimore County, died on January 22. He was 76.

William R. Cotter, the longest-serving president of Colby College, died on March 9. He was 87. Cotter was president of the college from 1979 to 2000.

Bernard Dobroski, professor emeritus and former dean of the Henry and Leigh Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University, died on February 19. He was 76.

Audrey Eubanks, a former vice president for academic affairs at the University of Mobile, died on February 26.

Donald Snyder, a former president of Lehigh Carbon Community College, died on March 4. He was 71. Snyder led the college from 2000 to 2013.

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Julia Piper

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March 24, 2023
Professors Are Sharply Divided on DEI Statements in Hiring, Survey Finds

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As diversity statements in faculty hiring are increasingly scrutinized by Republican-controlled state legislatures, a new survey suggests that faculty members themselves are sharply divided on the issue.

The survey, the results of which were released Tuesday by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, asked about 1,500 faculty members which description of diversity statements more closely aligned with their view: “a justifiable requirement for a job at a university” or “an ideological litmus test that violates academic freedom.” Half of respondents endorsed the first option, and half identified with the second.

Colleges often require or request diversity statements as part of applications for faculty jobs; candidates typically must explain how they have contributed to supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion in their academic careers. Supporters say the statements can help increase faculty diversity, ensure that the extra service work done by scholars of color — often called “invisible labor” — is recognized, and assist institutions in hiring professors who are ready to work with a diverse student population. Critics say the statements force academics to agree with progressive beliefs.

Political ideology influences faculty members’ views on mandatory DEI statements, according to the FIRE survey results. Three-fourths of liberal faculty said they were a justifiable requirement, while 56 percent of moderate faculty and 90 percent of conservative faculty considered them an ideological litmus test.

While politics is a factor, it’s not the only driver, said Nathan Honeycutt, a research fellow at FIRE who helped author a report on the survey results. While there’s a narrative that most professors support diversity statements, Honeycutt said, some faculty might be afraid to share their real opinions on the statements publicly.

“Given the context and the conversations we hear surrounding DEI, it seems like many faculty are on board,” he said. “That’s why so many universities are instituting these things, but as the numbers from our study suggest, it’s even hotly contested among faculty.”

As the use of DEI statements has become increasingly common among colleges over the past five years, the debate about them has become more heated. Some states, including Utah, West Virginia, Florida, and Texas have introduced legislation in the last two months that would ban mandatory DEI statements.

FIRE has publicly opposed DEI statements. The organization released model legislation aimed at banning such requirements on February 16.

The report noted that FIRE’s involvement with the faculty survey could have affected the results. Faculty members who identified as conservative made up 26 percent of respondents and thus were slightly overrepresented in the sample compared to other recent faculty surveys, according to the report. The survey was designed by FIRE and conducted by a market-research firm; faculty respondents came equally from a FIRE database and an education consulting firm’s database. The 1,500 professors all worked at four-year public and private colleges. The survey was conducted from July to August 2022.

The survey also found that 52 percent of faculty are afraid of losing their jobs or reputation due to a misunderstanding of their words or actions, their words or actions being taken out of context, or something from their past being posted online.

Honeycutt said it’s disheartening that faculty are so scared of losing their jobs, since academics should be able to study and discuss any topic. He worried that faculty members’ job-security fears could chill the advancement of research, with scholars afraid to challenge the established canon.

“We seem to have a climate today which is also reflected in the data, where a lot of faculty don’t feel comfortable speaking up about things,” he said.

The survey also asked faculty members whether they would support a college conducting a formal investigation into a professor, based on several hypothetical scenarios. Thirty-six percent of respondents said they’d support an investigation if a professor told a class that “all white people are racist.” Twenty percent said they’d support an investigation if a professor told a class that “it’s racist to say that all white people are racist.”

Honeycutt said he hopes faculty who feel they have to self-censor their work realize they aren’t alone after reading the report.

“We really need courageous faculty, faculty who can dissent even when it might be uncomfortable, who can ask difficult questions, who can confront those who are censoring others, or who have the courage to publicly support colleagues who are speaking up,” he said.

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Kate Marijolovic

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February 27, 2023
A College Hopes Its Home-Buying Program Will Attract Employees

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Colleges are facing challenges recruiting and retaining top talent in a pandemic-fueled employees’ market. But Virginia State University this month introduced a new strategy to set it apart from other institutions: It’s offering to help faculty and staff members buy a house.

The historically Black institution will use discretionary funds to match up to $10,000 toward employees’ down payment or closing costs on a home. The program, called the Home Assistance Payment Initiative, is open to current and incoming employees, who can use the money to purchase any home, townhouse, or condominium in the village of Ettrick, where the university is located, or the neighboring city of Petersburg, Virginia.

The idea of colleges helping employees pay for homes isn’t completely novel: The University of California system, for example, has a faculty recruitment allowance program, the amount of which is determined by the provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. And the Virginia State effort is the latest that caters to staff members as well as faculty, joining institutions like the Johns Hopkins University and the Universities of Chicago and Pennsylvania, though VSU’s program stands out for its dual emphasis on bolstering the local economy and enticing employees.

Colleges have adopted a range of strategies — like tweaking job listings and salary expectations, expediting the hiring process, and adding remote-work and flexible-scheduling perks — to stem recruitment and retention woes the past few years. In a “candidate’s market” that’s allowed prospective employees to be picky about their place of work, institutions have found themselves competing with one another and with the private sector for top talent. In a 2022 Chronicle survey, conducted with support from Huron Consulting Group, 84 percent of college leaders said hiring for administrative and staff jobs had been more difficult in the last year. Meanwhile, more than half of staff members who responded to a 2022 survey from the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources said they’d consider leaving their job within a year.

Some institutions have in recent years taken steps to attract residents to their communities. Purdue University and West Virginia University have lured workers to their college towns, aiming to encourage economic revitalization. But those programs have targeted people outside higher education whose jobs were remote. Purdue, for instance, is offering some applicants a $5,000 stipend, plus housing discounts and access to campus facilities, to join a “remote-working community”; participants can choose to live anywhere in the greater Lafayette, Ind., area. And West Virginia’s program, geared toward outdoor enthusiasts, offers remote workers $12,000 and a year’s worth of free outdoor activities like skiing and rafting.

Our mindset is if people work in the community where they live and they shop, that would help the economy of those communities.

Virginia State hasn’t experienced particular problems with attrition, said Donald E. Palm, the university’s executive vice president and provost. Rather, the home-assistance program is intended as a “more proactive versus reactive” approach to a competitive job market. Including it in a recruitment package for new employees, Palm said, “does a lot to communicate to future faculty and staff members that we are investing in them.” He hopes it will help set Virginia State apart in in-demand faculty disciplines like computer science and business.

The program may also help draw employees to Ettrick, whose population is about 7,200, and to Petersburg, both of which sit south of Richmond. While Virginia State is the only four-year institution in Chesterfield County, many of its employees don’t live nearby, said Gwen Williams Dandridge, the assistant vice president for communications.

“At 5:00 every day, the majority of the employees of Virginia State hit Interstate 95 and head to other parts of Chesterfield, Richmond, other areas as well,” Williams Dandridge said. “Our mindset is if people work in the community where they live and they shop, that would help the economy of those communities.”

Virginia State leaders hope that faculty and staff members, many of whom rent property in the area, will be enticed by the prospect of home ownership, which could encourage longevity in their employment. Palm said the program’s announcement has already made a noticeable difference in morale. While administrators aren’t sure how many people will take advantage, employees and local realtors have already reached out for more specifics on the program, Williams Dandridge said.

There’s no set cap for how much money the university will put toward the program or when it will end, Williams Dandridge said, adding that the university’s president, Makola M. Abdullah, will make those decisions depending on demand. Participating employees will need to commit to staying at Virginia State for at least a year after buying their home — which must be their primary residence — and use a lender approved by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

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Megan Zahneis

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January 30, 2023
Transitions: Texas Christian U. Names New President; U. of Nebraska at Lincoln President to Retire

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Glen E.Ellman
Daniel Pullin is the next president of Texas Christian U.

CHIEF EXECUTIVES
Appointments
Kim E. Armstrong, vice chancellor for student, equity, and community affairs at Arkansas State University-Three Rivers, has been named president of Clovis Community College, in California.

David Doré, president of campuses and executive vice chancellor for student experience and work-force development at Pima Community College, in Arizona, has been named chancellor of the Virginia Community College system.

David Guzick, senior vice president for health affairs at the University of Florida and president of UF Health, has been named president of the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at Shreveport.

Mirta Martin, former president of Fairmont State University, in West Virginia, has been named interim president of Ferrum College, in Virginia.

Calvin McFadden Sr., a former chief of student affairs at Norwalk Community College, in Connecticut, has been named president of Arkansas Baptist College.

Colin Neill, interim chancellor of Pennsylvania State University-Great Valley, has been named to the post permanently.

Art Pimentel, president of Woodland Community College, has been named president of Folsom Lake College, part of the Los Rios Community College District in California.

Daniel Pullin, dean of the Neeley School of Business at Texas Christian University, has been named president of the university.

Karen Riley, provost at Regis University, in Colorado, has been named president of Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. She will succeed William Behre, who plans to retire at the end of June.

Robert K. Vischer, interim president of the University of St. Thomas, in Minnesota, has been named to the post permanently.

Resignations
David K. Balkin, president of Erie Community College of the State University of New York, has resigned after being suspended by the Board of Trustees.

Mark Biermann, president of Blackburn College, in Illinois, has stepped down due to health concerns.

Ted Raspiller, president of Brightpoint Community College, in Virginia, plans to resign in February.

Elwood Robinson, chancellor of Winston-Salem State University, part of the University of North Carolina system, plans to step down at the end of the semester.

Meredith Jung-En Woo, president of Sweet Briar College, in Virginia, plans to step down at the end of the 2023-24 academic year.

Retirements
Clarence D. Armbrister, president of Johnson C. Smith University, in North Carolina, plans to retire in June.

Ronnie Green, chancellor of the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, plans to retire in June.

CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICERS
Appointments
Laurie Elish-Piper, dean of the College of Education at Northern Illinois University, has been named interim executive vice president and provost.

Katherine L. Gantz, interim provost and dean of faculty at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, has been named vice president for academic affairs and dean of faculty.

Patrick Wolfe, dean of the College of Science and a professor of statistics and computer science at Purdue University at West Lafayette, has been named provost and executive vice president for academic affairs and diversity.

OTHER TOP ADMINISTRATORS
Appointments
Robert B. Ahdieh, dean of the School of Law at Texas A&M University, has been named the university’s vice president for professional schools and programs.

Nicole J. Johnson

Brandon A. Frye, vice president for student affairs at Stephen F. Austin State University, in Texas, has been named vice chancellor for student affairs at East Carolina University.

Nicole J. Johnson, dean of students and associate vice president for student affairs at Goucher College, in Maryland, has been named vice president for student life at Rhodes College, in Tennessee.

Todd Lineburger, associate vice president and special adviser for strategic-advancement communications at the Rutgers University Foundation, has been named vice president for communications and marketing at Muhlenberg College, in Pennsylvania.

DEANS
Appointments
Lisa R. Carter, vice provost for libraries and university librarian at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, has been named university librarian and dean of libraries at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.

Thomas Dunne, deputy dean of students at Princeton University, has been named dean of students at Harvard University.

Levon Esters, associate dean of diversity, equity, and inclusion and of faculty affairs at Purdue University’s Polytechnic Institute and a professor of agricultural-sciences education, has been named dean of the Graduate School and vice provost for graduate education at Pennsylvania State University at University Park.

Catherine Heyman, an associate professor and associate dean of student affairs at Marshall B. Ketchum University’s Southern California College of Optometry, has been named dean of the School of Optometry at High Point University, in North Carolina.

Martha Hurley, chair and a professor in the department of criminal justice and security studies at the University of Dayton, has been named dean of the division of liberal arts, communication, and social sciences at Sinclair Community College, in Ohio.

Mary Loeffelholz, a former dean of the College of Professional Studies and a professor of English at Northeastern University, has been named dean of the School of Continuing Education at Cornell University.

Andy Morgan, associate vice president for student affairs at Indiana State University, has been named associate vice president and dean of students at Illinois State University.

Daniel J. Pack, dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, has been named dean of the School of Engineering and Computer Science at Baylor University, in Texas.

Steve Prudent, director of high-school partnerships and pathways at Bunker Hill Community College, has been named dean of admissions and early college at Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology, in Massachusetts.

Arturo P. Saavedra, chair of the department of dermatology at the University of Virginia and president and interim chief executive of the UVA Physicians Group, has been named dean of the School of Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University and executive vice president for medical affairs for the VCU Health System.

Nate Y. Sharp, head of the department of accounting in the Mays Business School at Texas A&M University at College Station, has been named dean of the college.

Anna Westerstahl Stenport, dean of the College of Liberal Arts at the Rochester Institute of Technology, in New York, has been named dean of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Georgia.

Danelle Stevens-Watkins, associate vice president for research, diversity, and inclusion and a professor in the department of educational, school, and counseling psychology at the University of Kentucky, has been named acting dean of the College of Education.

OTHER ADMINISTRATORS
Appointments
Megan Callow, associate teaching professor in the department of English at the University of Washington, has been named the university’s inaugural director of writing.

Chris Emmanuel, deputy director of policy in the Executive Office of the Governor of Florida’s Office of Policy and Budget, has been named director of government relations at the University of Florida.

Susan Gross

Susan Gross, assistant vice president for enrollment management at the Stevens Institute of Technology, in New Jersey, has been named vice provost for enrollment management at the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

Ryan Hudes, associate dean of strategy, enrollment, and administration in the College of Communication and the Arts at Seton Hall University, in New Jersey, has been named senior associate dean of strategy, planning, and administration in its College of Human Development, Culture, and Media.

Keona Lewis, associate director of research and evaluation for diversity, equity, and inclusion at the Georgia Institute of Technology, has been named assistant provost for academic diversity and inclusion at the University of Notre Dame.

Fredrick Muyia Nafukho, senior associate dean of faculty affairs and a professor of educational administration and human-resources development at Texas A&M University at College Station, has been named vice provost for the Office of Academic Personnel at the University of Washington.

Renee Robinson, interim dean of the College of Communication and the Arts at Seton Hall University, in New Jersey, has been named vice dean of faculty affairs in the College of Human Development, Culture, and Media.

Kent Michael Smith, deputy director of the Madison Museum of Modern Art, in Wisconsin, has been named director of the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art at Kansas State University.

Brad L.R. Spielman, associate provost for student services at Des Moines Area Community College, in Iowa, has been named director of the Center for Academic Engagement at Guilford Technical Community College, in North Carolina.

Retirements
Stephen Fain, chair of the Ignite campaign at the Florida International University Foundation, is retiring after more than 50 years at the university.

FACULTY
Appointments
Hillary Clinton, a former U.S. secretary of state and U.S. senator, has been named a professor of practice in the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University and a presidential fellow at Columbia World Projects.

ORGANIZATIONS
Appointments
Fanta Aw, vice president for undergraduate enrollment, campus life, and inclusive excellence at American University, in Washington, D.C., has been named executive director and chief executive of NAFSA: Association of International Educators.

DEATHS
Russell Banks, an author who taught at New England College and Princeton University, among other institutions, died on January 8. He was 82.

Molly Corbett Broad, a former president of the University of North Carolina system, died on January 2. She was 81. Broad served as system president from 1997 to 2005 and was the first woman to lead the American Council on Education.

Jean Franco, a professor of Latin American studies who taught at Stanford University and Columbia University, died on December 14. She was 98.

Willard Gaylin, a co-founder of the Hastings Center with Daniel Callahan, died on December 30. He was 97. Gaylin also served as a professor of psychiatry and law at Columbia University’s Law School.

Stephanie Hammitt, the first female president of Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College, in Minnesota, died on November 14. She was 60.

Sister Rose Marie Jane Kujawa, a former president of Madonna University, in Michigan, died on December 29. She was 79.

Albert Madansky, a professor in the University of Chicago’s Graduate School of Business, died on December 8. He was 88.

Herbert Morris, a professor emeritus in the School of Law at the University of California at Los Angeles, died on December 14. He was 94.

Theresa A. Powell, vice president for student affairs at Temple University, died on January 2.

Georgia Clark Sadler, the U.S. Naval Academy’s first female instructor, died on November 30. She was 81.

Menahem Schmelzer, a former professor and chief librarian of the Jewish Theological Seminary, in New York, died on December 10. He was 88.

Meredith Smith, a former member of the admissions staff at Elon University, in North Carolina, died on November 27. She was 35.

Susan Smyth, dean of the College of Medicine and executive vice chancellor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, died on December 31. She was 57.

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Julia Piper

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January 20, 2023
Transitions: Harvard Names New President; Kenyon College President Steps Down

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Stephanie Mitchell, Harvard U.
Claudine Gay will lead Harvard starting on July 1.

CHIEF EXECUTIVES
Appointments
Marshall Criser, a former chancellor of Florida’s university system, has been named the next president of Piedmont University, in Georgia. He replaces James Mellichamp, who announced his retirement in June.

Ron Darbeau, vice president for faculty affairs and academic operations at Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania, has been named chancellor of Pennsylvania State University at Altoona.

Claudine Gay, dean of the faculty of arts and sciences at Harvard University, has been named president. She succeeds Lawrence Bacow and will be the university’s first Black president.

Naydeen González-De Jesús, executive vice president for student success at Milwaukee Area Technical College, has been named president of San Antonio College.

Jean Hernandez, who retired from Washington’s Edmonds College as president emeritus in 2017, has been named interim president of South Seattle College for the remainder of the academic year.

James N. Johnston, provost and vice president for academic affairs at Midwestern State University, in Texas, has been named chancellor of the Eastern New Mexico University system.

John B. King Jr., president of the Education Trust and a former U.S. Department of Education secretary, has been named chancellor of the State University of New York system.

Elva LeBlanc, who has served as interim chancellor of Tarrant County College, in Texas, since Gene Giovannini’s resignation in June, has been named chancellor.

Charles Lepper, vice president for student affairs and enrollment management at Salt Lake City Community College since 2015, has been named president of Grand Rapids Community College. He succeeds Juan R. Olivarez, who has served as interim president since July.

Anne E. McCall, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Xavier University of Louisiana, has been named president of the College of Wooster, in Ohio.

Pamela Monaco, vice president for academic and student affairs at Wilbur Wright College, has been named president of Ocean County College. She succeeds Jon H. Larson, who plans to retire next year.

Cathy Monteroso, interim provost and vice president for academic affairs at West Liberty University, has been named the university’s interim president. She will be the first woman to lead the West Virginia college and will assume the role on January 1.

Harriet Nembhard, dean of the University of Iowa’s College of Engineering, has been named the next president of Harvey Mudd College, in California. She will assume the role on July 1.

Amy Parsons, founding CEO of the e-commerce company Mozzafiato, LLC, has been named president of Colorado State University at Fort Collins. She succeeds Rick Miranda, who became interim president after Joyce McConnell’s departure in June.

Brian Pellinen, academic dean at Montserrat College of Art, in Massachusetts, has been named interim president. He will succeed Kurt T. Steinberg, who will leave in January to become chief operating officer of the Peabody Essex Museum, in Salem, Mass.

Melanie Perreault, provost and executive vice president for academic and student affairs at Towson University, in Maryland, has been named interim president of the university. She will take office on February 1.

Kim Schatzel, president of Towson University since 2016, has been named president of the University of Louisville. She succeeds Lori Stewart Gonzalez, who has served as interim president since December 2021.

Linda Schott

Linda Schott, a former president of Southern Oregon University, has been named interim president of Texas A&M University at San Antonio. She succeeds Cynthia Teniente-Matson, who has been named president of San Jose State University.

Charles Seifert, a longtime professor and business-school dean at Siena College, has been named its president. Seifert replaces Chris Gibson, who plans to retire in May.

Jayda Spillers, vice chancellor for academics and student affairs at Northwest Louisiana Technical Community College, has been named chancellor.

T. Ramon Stuart, president of Clayton State University, in Georgia, has been named president of the West Virginia University Institute of Technology. He will assume the role on January 1.

Strom C. Thacker, dean of the faculty and vice president for academic affairs at Union College, in New York, has been named president of Pitzer College, in California.

Resignations
Melanie Dixon, president of American River College, in California, will step down at the end of the semester.

Kay Ellis, vice president for administration and finance at Bronx Community College of the City University of New York, will step down at the end of the month.

Jennifer Raab, president of Hunter College of the City University of New York, will step down at the end of June.

Retirements
Sean M. Decatur, president of Kenyon College since 2013, has been named president of the American Museum of Natural History. He will step down at the end of the month. Provost Jeff Bowman, who has served as acting president since July, will continue in that role.

Louise Pagotto, chancellor of Kapiʻolani Community College, in Hawaii, will retire on December 31.

Jennie Vaughan, chancellor of Ivy Tech Community College at Bloomington, plans to retire in May.

CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICERS
Appointments
Peter Blitstein, interim provost and dean of faculty at Lawrence University since July, has been named to the post permanently.

Sean Burke, associate provost of Luther College, in Iowa, has been named provost and vice president for academic affairs at Alma College, in Michigan.

Anne D’Alleva, interim provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at the University of Connecticut, has been named to the post permanently.

Francis J. Doyle III, dean of Harvard University’s John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, has been named provost at Brown University.

Resignations
Alan Utter, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs and research at Arkansas State University, plans to step down at the end of the fall semester and return to the faculty. Todd Shields, the chancellor, will serve as acting provost.

OTHER TOP ADMINISTRATORS
Appointments
Michael Andreasen, senior vice president for university advancement at the University of Oregon, has been named vice chancellor for development at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He succeeds David Routh, who plans to step down at the end of the year.

David Go, a professor and chair of the department of aerospace and mechanical engineering at the University of Notre Dame, has been named vice president and associate provost for strategic planning.

Mark J. Heil, interim vice president for finance and administration at Ohio University, has been named to the post permanently.

Jeremy P. Martin, chief of staff at the College of William & Mary, has been named the university’s vice president for strategy and innovation.

Joseph Morales, associate director of strategic initiatives and partnerships in the Office of Inclusive Excellence at the University of California at Irvine, has been named chief diversity officer at California State University at Chico.

Jared Mosley, interim vice president and director of athletics at the University of North Texas, has been named to the post permanently.

Grant Myers, dean of enrollment management at Tabor College, has been named vice president for enrollment management at Hesston College.

Cynthia Pickett, associate provost for diversity, equity, and inclusion at DePaul University, has been named presidential associate for inclusion and chief diversity officer at California Polytechnic State University at Pomona.

Scott Rabenold, vice president for development at the University of Texas at Austin, has been named senior vice president for university advancement and alumni relations at the University of Southern California.

Marshall Stewart

Marshall Stewart, chief engagement officer for the University of Missouri system and vice chancellor for extension and engagement at the University of Missouri at Columbia, has been named senior vice president for executive affairs, university engagement, and partnerships and chief of staff at Kansas State University.

Retirements
Melody Bianchetto, vice president for finance at the University of Virginia, plans to retire in February.

Mark Lanier, assistant to the chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, plans to retire in December 2023.

DEANS
Appointments
Rachel Clapp-Smith, interim dean of the College of Business at Purdue University Northwest, has been named to the post permanently.

Kelechi (K.C.) Ogbonna, interim dean of Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy since June, has been named to the post permanently.

Joseph M. Valenzano III, chair of the communications department at the University of Dayton, has been named dean of the communications school at Butler University, in Indiana. He replaces Brooke Barnett, who was promoted to provost and vice president for academic affairs.

Resignations
Robert Shibley, dean of the School of Architecture and Planning at the University at Buffalo, plans to step down.

OTHER ADMINISTRATORS
Appointments
Nicki Webber Moore, vice president and director of athletics at Colgate University, has been named director of athletics and physical education at Cornell University.

Amy Overman, assistant dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Elon University, has been named assistant provost for scholarship and creative activity.

Jay Pearson, an associate professor of public policy at Duke University, has been named the inaugural associate dean of diversity, equity, and inclusion at its Sanford School of Public Policy.

Jonathan Tran, an associate professor and chair of religion in the College of Arts and Sciences at Baylor University, has been named an associate dean of the Honors College.

China L. Wilson, equity and civil-rights compliance specialist at the Maryland State Department of Education, has been named assistant dean of diversity, equity, and inclusion at the Peabody Institute at the Johns Hopkins University.

ORGANIZATIONS
Appointments
Gov. Charlie Baker of Massachusetts, a Republican, has been named president of the NCAA.

Marni Baker Stein, provost and chief academic officer at Western Governors University, has been named chief content officer at Coursera.

DEATHS
Willard (Sandy) Boyd, president emeritus of the University of Iowa, died on December 13. He was 95. Boyd led the university from 1969 to 1981.

Charles Somerville Harris, who recently retired as executive vice president at Averett University, in Virginia, died on December 7. He was 71.

George C. Herring, author of America’s Longest War: The United States and Vietnam, 1950-1975 and a professor emeritus of history at the University of Kentucky, died on November 30. He was 86.

Henry Rosovsky, a former dean of the faculty of arts and sciences who also served as acting president of Harvard University, died on November 11. He was 95. Rosovsky was the first Jewish dean of the faculty and founder of the Center for Jewish Studies. He was also a key figure in the development of the Black studies program at the university.

Gaddis Smith, a professor emeritus of history at Yale University, died on December 2. He was 89.

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Julia Piper

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January 3, 2023
Transitions: Tufts U. Selects New President; Ohio State U. President Plans to Step Down

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Sunil Kumar, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at the Johns Hopkins U., will be the next president of Tufts U.

CHIEF EXECUTIVES
Appointments
Kim Armstrong, vice chancellor for student, equity, and community affairs at Arkansas State University-Three Rivers, has been named president of Clovis Community College, in California.

Hector Balderas, attorney general for the state of New Mexico, has been named president of Northern New Mexico College.

Patrena B. Elliott, vice president for instruction and student-support services at Robeson Community College, has been named president of Halifax Community College. Both colleges are in North Carolina.

Carlos Hernandez, interim president of Sul Ross State University since June, has been named to the post permanently.

Sunil Kumar, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at the Johns Hopkins University, has been named president of Tufts University. He will succeed Anthony P. Monaco, who will step down next year.

Karen Lee, interim chancellor of Honolulu Community College, has been named to the post permanently.

Charles Lepper, vice president for student affairs and enrollment at Salt Lake City Community College, has been named president of Grand Rapids Community College.

Rosana Reyes, vice president for enrollment management and student affairs at Luzerne County Community College, in Pennsylvania, has been named president of Lamar Community College, in Colorado.

Charles F. Robinson, interim chancellor of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, has been named to the post permanently. He is the university’s first Black chancellor.

Cynthia Teniente-Matson, president of Texas A&M University at San Antonio, has been named president of San Jose State University.

Resignations
Noelle E. Cockett, president of Utah State University since 2017, plans to step down in July 2023.

Kristina M. Johnson, president of Ohio State University since August 2020, plans to step down in May 2023.

Ashish Vaidya, president of Northern Kentucky University since 2018, plans to step down in December.

Retirements
Cathleen McColgin, president of Herkimer County Community College, in New York, plans to retire next year.

CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICERS
Appointments
Alison Del Rossi, a professor of economics at St. Lawrence University, has been named vice president and dean of academic affairs.

Julian Vasquez Heilig, dean of the College of Education at the University of Kentucky, has been named provost and vice president for academic affairs at Western Michigan University.

Meera Komarraju, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, has been named provost and vice president for academic affairs at California State University at Northridge.

Catherine Lucey, vice dean of education and executive vice dean of the School of Medicine at the University of California at San Francisco, has been named executive vice chancellor and provost.

Ivan Pulinkala, interim provost and vice president for academic affairs at Kennesaw State University since July 2021, has been named to the post permanently.

Jennifer Rexford, chair of the department of computer science at Princeton University, has been named provost of the university.

Catherine Whelan, national dean of the School of Business at the University of Notre Dame Australia, has been named provost and vice president for academic and student affairs at East Georgia State College.

Barbara E. Wolfe

Barbara E. Wolfe, dean of the College of Nursing at the University of Rhode Island, has been named provost and executive vice president for academic affairs.

Resignations
John Karl Scholz, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, plans to step down and return to the faculty at the end of the 2022-23 academic year.

Charles Zukoski, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at the University of Southern California, will step down in January.

OTHER TOP ADMINISTRATORS
Appointments
Robert W. Davis Jr., vice president for student life at the University of Scranton, has been named vice president for university advancement.

Kelly Dowling, assistant vice president for advancement at Stony Brook University, has been named senior vice president for philanthropy and alumni engagement at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Lacretia Johnson Flash, vice president for diversity and inclusion at Berklee College of Music, has been named inaugural senior vice president for DEI, community, campus culture, and climate.

Rebecca Z. German, a professor of anatomy and neurobiology at Northeast Ohio Medical University, has been named vice president for research.

Scott Goings, interim general counsel at Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, has been named to the post permanently.

Eyal Gottlieb, director of the Rappaport Institute for Biomedical Research, in Israel, has been named vice president for research at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Zebadiah Hall, director of student disability services at Cornell University, has been named vice president for diversity, equity, and inclusion at the University of Wyoming.

Jeff Harris, associate vice president for marketing and communications at Minnesota State University at Mankato, has been named chief marketing officer at Sam Houston State University.

Joe Manok, senior director of philanthropic partnerships in the Office of Resource Development at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has been named vice president for university advancement at Clark University, in Massachusetts.

James Patti, former director of administration in the Graduate School of Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island, has been named vice president for planning at Nichols College.

Jacqueline Taylor, associate vice president for retention and student success at Southwest Tennessee Community College, has been named chief strategy officer and chief of staff.

Scott Vignos, interim vice president and chief diversity officer at Oregon State University, has been named to the post permanently.

Michael Wenz, executive director of university budgets at Northeastern Illinois University, has been named vice president for finance and administration and chief financial officer at Linfield University.

Jeffrey Lewis Williams, chief operating officer and senior vice president for finance and administration at Capitol Technology University, in Maryland, has been named vice president for finance and administration at Lourdes University.

Resignations
Eugene Lowe Jr., assistant to the president of Northwestern University, will step down after more than twenty years.

Retirements
Thomas J. Hollister, chief financial officer and vice president for finance at Harvard University, plans to retire at the end of the academic year.

DEANS
Appointments
Gerard E. Carrino, head of the department of health policy and management at Texas A&M University’s School of Public Health, has been named dean of the Julia Jones Matthews School of Population and Public Health at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.

James T. Robinson, interim dean of the University of Chicago Divinity School since July 2021, has been named to the post permanently.

Colin P. Roche, a former professor and department chair at Johnson & Wales University, has been named interim dean of Biscayne College at St. Thomas University, in Florida.

Maridee Shogren, interim dean of the College of Nursing and Professional Disciplines at the University of North Dakota, has been named to the post permanently.

Paul B. Tchounwou, principal investigator and executive director of the Research Centers in Minority Institutions Center for Health Disparities Research at Jackson State University, has been named dean of the School of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences at Morgan State University.

Resignations
Kathleen Boozang, dean of the School of Law at Seton Hall University, will step down on January 1.

Vikas P. Sukhatme, dean of Emory University’s School of Medicine and chief academic officer of Emory Healthcare, will step down and return to the faculty in March 2023.

Paul Zionts, dean of the College of Education at DePaul University, will step down at the end of the year.

Retirements
Christine Theodoropoulos, dean of the College of Architecture and Environmental Design at California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo, plans to retire.

Jay Drowns/UVU Marketing
Matthew S. Brogdon

OTHER ADMINISTRATORS
Appointments
Matthew S. Brogdon, an associate professor of political science at the University of Texas at San Antonio, has been named senior director of the Center for Constitutional Studies at Utah Valley University.

Cassandra Crifasi, deputy director of the Center for Gun Violence Solutions at the Bloomberg School of Public Health at the Johns Hopkins University, has been named co-director of the center with Joshua Horwitz.

Jay Golan, vice president for advancement at the City University of New York Graduate Center and executive director of the Graduate Center Foundation, has been named executive director of the LaGuardia Community College Foundation.

Craig Greene, director of equal employment opportunity in the New York City Department of Design and Construction, has been named chief diversity officer and Title IX coordinator at LaGuardia Community College.

Kristi Hoskinson, former vice president of CareerEdge at the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, has been named assistant vice president for strategy and campus initiatives at the University of South Florida-Sarasota/Manatee.

Trey Jones, executive director of corporation and foundation relations at West Virginia State University, has been named assistant vice president for university advancement and vice president for the university’s foundation.

Danielle McCourt, associate director of university communications and marketing at the University of South Florida-Sarasota/Manatee, has been named director of university communications and marketing.

Joanna McNulty, senior director of planning and business operations in the research office at the University of Notre Dame, has been named associate vice president for academic finance and administration.

Luis F. Paredes, director of institutional diversity at Bridgewater State University, has been named associate vice president for institutional equity and belonging at Wheaton College, in Massachusetts.

Resignations
Shane Lyons, associate vice president and director of athletics at West Virginia University, resigned in November.

ORGANIZATIONS
Appointments
Patricia Akhimie, director of the RaceB4Race Mentorship Network and an associate professor of English at Rutgers University at Newark, has been named director of the Folger Institute, in Washington, D.C.

Carol L. Folt, president of the University of Southern California, was elected chair of the Board of Directors for the Association of American Universities.

DEATHS
Bobbie Knable, a former dean of students for the School of Arts and Sciences at Tufts University, died on November 15. She was 86. Knable worked at Tufts for 30 years, starting in the English department in 1970.

Staughton Lynd, who taught at Spelman College and Yale University, died on November 17. He was 92.

Jay M. Pasachoff, an astronomer at Williams College, died on November 20. He was 79.

Edward C. Prescott, an economist who taught at the University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University, and the University of Minnesota before moving to Arizona State University, died on November 6. He was 81. While at Arizona State University, he won the 2004 Nobel Prize in Economics with Finn Kydland.

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Julia Piper

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December 21, 2022
‘It’s a Mess’: Grades Are Due Soon, and U. of California Professors Are Struggling

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Professors nationwide are currently immersed in an end-of-term ritual: grading. At the University of California, however, fall grades have been thrown into disarray as a strike involving teaching assistants reached its one-month mark.

Many professors say they are forgoing the submission of final grades, either out of solidarity with striking workers, or because they simply can’t grade hundreds of assignments without the help of readers and TAs — even with grading deadlines extended through the holidays.

Several faculty members told The Chronicle that communication from administrators — on a campus- and system-wide level — has been vague and unrealistic, with messages repeatedly stressing the obligation to maintain “continuity of instruction.“

“It’s a mess,” said Paul V.A. Fine, a professor in the integrative biology department at UC-Berkeley. “I’m surprised that the administration hasn’t been taken more to task by this, because I feel like they’re letting us all down.”

Instruction he received from his department for administering finals and grades, Fine said, was essentially reduced to a general directive: “Follow your conscience.”

UC officials say they’re trying to mitigate the impacts of the strike. Berkeley lecturers are being offered additional pay for picking up extra grading work at the end of the term, according to a university spokesperson.

At Berkeley, grading has been extended to December 31; other UC campuses are taking a similar approach. But Fine is frustrated. “Even if you extend the grade deadline, [then] what? You’re supposed to just do that instead of enjoying a holiday break? Forget that. That’s ridiculous,” he said.

Despite the strike, Fine continued teaching his undergraduate course on the ecosystems of California. Typically a graduate student works alongside him as an instructor and is responsible for half of the course’s grading. The course’s enrollment is small enough — 22 students — that he could complete grading by the deadline. But he said he won’t turn in grades until the strike is over, in solidarity with the graduate students.

“Although I am doing my job because I care a lot about my undergraduates’ education, I’m not going to do extra work,” Fine said.

Adding to the turmoil are questions about next term, which starts in a couple of weeks. Some classes don’t have teaching assistants assigned to them yet. On Wednesday, the UC-Davis Academic Senate sent out guidance suggesting that professors could do some of their winter-term teaching asynchronously and continue with modified instruction for up to two weeks after the strike ends.

‘At a Breaking Point’

The strike, which began November 14, initially involved four bargaining units made up of 48,000 UC graduate students, postdocs, and researchers.

Last week, postdocs and researchers overwhelmingly approved new contracts with the university system that secured wage increases, transit benefits, and paid family leave. They ended their strike on Monday. University officials and the union representing the remaining academic workers have agreed to continue negotiations through a third-party mediator.

“We remain committed to securing a fair and reasonable contract with the union that honors the hard work of our valued graduate student employees,” Letitia Silas, executive director of systemwide labor relations, said in a statement. “With the help of a neutral mediator, we hope to secure that agreement quickly.”

In the meantime, UC campuses have been scrambling to find solutions to the chaos — including paying lecturers to grade assignments.

The union that represents lecturers across the UC system, UC-AFT, released a cease-and-desist letter alleging that Berkeley’s offer interferes with lecturers’ right to refuse to pick up struck work under California law. The letter states that the union is aware of similar plans on “several other campuses.”

When asked if UC-Irvine was extending similar offers to their faculty, a university spokesperson said that deans and department chairs “have been advised to consider a range of approaches to support continuity of instruction,” which may include tapping lecturers to help. The Chronicle did not receive responses from the other UC campuses on Wednesday.

They have to figure out a way to solve this strike in a way that doesn’t harm students and also doesn’t try to exploit other vulnerable workers.

Unlike tenured professors, lecturers have a no-strike clause in their contracts. While some faculty members opted out of teaching their courses in solidarity after the strike began, lecturers had to continue.

Joanna Reed, a continuing lecturer in the sociology department at Berkeley, kept teaching, though she said lecture attendance “absolutely plunged” after the strike started. But she has told her students to expect a delay in getting their grades. (Reed is married to Fine.)

Reed would usually have eight readers to do the vast majority of grading for her two undergraduate lecture classes, for which the combined enrollment is over 300. It would be physically impossible, she said, to grade hundreds of assignments before the end of the month.

Still, she’s pushing ahead with the work she’d usually do at the end of the semester: preparing rubrics and answer keys, dealing with plagiarism issues, and getting the gradebook cleaned up. She’ll submit final grades after the strike ends and the graduate students can resume their work.

As Reed sees it, refusing to grade final assignments, which is considered struck work, is a way she can show solidarity with graduate students while continuing to fulfill her contractual obligations as a lecturer.

A lecturer at UCLA, who asked to remain anonymous because he fears speaking out could put his job at risk, said he feels pressure — both from the university and from students — to submit final grades.

But the lecturer, who teaches two courses with 300 students total, said it’ll be impossible for him to release accurate grades at the end of the semester. The lecturer has hundreds of essays from the semester ungraded — work that is partly done by the lecturer’s team of TAs. That’s not including the finals the classes completed last week. It doesn’t help, he said, that guidance from the administration on finals and grading arrived in the last week of classes after he had already put together plans for his final.

Although the deadline to turn in grades has been extended to January 2, he doesn’t plan to release grades.

“Those of us who don’t have job security, like me, are just at a breaking point,” he said.

Uncertainty Abounds

Many faculty members say they are torn between wanting to respect the picket line and feeling an obligation to their undergraduate students.

Catherine Liu, a professor of film and media studies at UC-Irvine, said she won’t file final grades with the registrar until the strike is resolved. But she plans to evaluate her students’ work and share grades with them directly. At 39 students, her class is small, and she doesn’t depend on a TA to help with grading. At UC-Irvine, the deadline to submit grades was extended to January 19.

Debates about obligation are complicated by questions about how withholding grades may impact undergraduates — including student athletes, veterans, students on financial aid, and graduating students seeking jobs. Some campuses have stressed that these students will not be affected if grades are not submitted. On other campuses, the possible implications remain unclear to faculty, and some are making arrangements for students in vulnerable situations.

At Berkeley, Reed said, some graduate students in her department have said they will work with professors to make sure students with a documented need receive grades. But Reed said the burden shouldn’t fall on instructors to protect students.

“The university created this situation with their unfair labor practices. So in my mind, it’s their problem to solve,” Reed said. “They have to figure out a way to solve this strike in a way that doesn’t harm students and also doesn’t try to exploit other vulnerable workers.”

And if the graduate-student strike continues into 2023, professors will have to figure out what to do about the next term.

This is a question that we’re all asking ourselves this week: What do we do in January?

With uncertainty about whether TAs will be on the job in January, UC-Davis instructors will be allowed to switch lab hours and discussion sections, normally taught by TAs, to asynchronous instruction, according to the Academic Senate’s guidance. Instructors must maintain the same amount of instructional time with students in a course.

The university “will allow these course adjustments to remain in place for up to two weeks after the end of the strike, at which point courses must return to their normal instructional modes,” the guidance states.

“I have a feeling that this is going to make a lot of faculty pretty unhappy,” said Stacy Fahrenthold, an associate professor of history at UC-Davis. “The implicit language in this policy is that faculty will be responsible for taking on not only the grading but also the instructional duties of their TAs if they remain on strike.”

Fahrenthold, who is scheduled to teach two undergraduate courses with a combined enrollment of 150 in the winter term, said she won’t be opting into the asynchronous option. “I see it as an attempt to break the strike or remediate its impacts,” she said. As for what next quarter will look like for her courses, she said that’s an open question.

“There’s about 450 faculty who are actively on sympathy strike,” she said. “And I think this is a question that we’re all asking ourselves this week: What do we do in January?”

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Carolyn Kuimelis and Grace Mayer

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December 14, 2022
College Dining Workers Seize the Moment

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A picture of Melanie Edwards shows her with her hair pulled back and wearing a black polo shirt, her uniform as a dining-facilities supervisor at the College of William & Mary. Zoom out from Edwards and she is surrounded by 119 other portraits of workers on a flier — the college’s recently unionized dining staff.

They range from student workers to full-time employees, from cooks to servers, some of whom, like Edwards, have been working on campus for two or three decades. Some are dressed in the college’s signature hunter green or white bib aprons; others wear black baseball caps or stout chef skull hats. Some are smiling, like Edwards. Others are pictured with a straight face. One worker faces the camera with his nose upturned and a frown.

On the flier, there’s a message in green letters: “We want our voices to be heard.”

William & Mary’s dining staff members unionized for the first time in the hopes of raising their wages, adding pensions, and making health insurance more affordable. They’re also calling for changes to ease persistent worker shortages. Edwards said the conditions she and her colleagues faced during the pandemic have made them feel disrespected by Sodexo, the dining service contracted by William & Mary since 2014.

“We’re understaffed, underpaid, overworked. It’s a lot to endure,” Edwards said. “It just feels like my work performance doesn’t match my wage.”

Unite Here Local 23
A flier promotes a new union for dining-hall workers at William & Mary.

With union drives this year also at Pitzer College and Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, and fights for better contracts elsewhere, campus dining staffs across the country are seizing the opportunity in a tight hiring market to pressure colleges and contractors for better working conditions. Last week at Pomona College, dining workers went on strike to demand that the institution increase their pay. At Pomona and elsewhere, student activists are throwing support behind them.

Colleges have struggled mightily to staff their dining halls over the past two years, leading to complaints from students about subpar service and widely mocked calls for faculty members to volunteer for dining shifts. In recent months, the pinch has gotten even worse. Forty-two percent of college leaders surveyed recently by The Chronicle said hiring dining-service workers in July, August, and September was a serious problem, compared with the rest of 2022.

Higher ed has long relied on low-paid dining workers, many of whom are people of color, to help keep campuses running. But those workers have picked an advantageous moment to force their institutions to reckon with the principles many of them espouse: among them, fairness and a commitment to the social good.

When successful, such efforts could deliver drastic improvements to workers’ lives — and send a message to other colleges. As one union leader put it, “Nobody should have a poverty-level job in higher education.”

The Tipping Point

Throughout the last decade, Luis Navarro has watched two generations in his family fight for better union contracts at Northeastern University’s dining services.

Navarro’s mother, aunt, and grandmother, all employees with Northeastern dining, have been organizing since 2012, when their staff joined the Unite Here Local 26 union. He remembers going to his aunt’s house as a teenager and listening in on union meetings.

Navarro, now a 25-year-old barista at Northeastern, was brought on during a time when college dining staffs were stretched thin across the country. Suddenly, the family conversations he had overheard about poor working conditions — the burnout, the unlivable wages — became his reality.

Navarro was not only responsible for his hired role as a barista but was also asked to work as a “floater,” he said — a sort of jack-of-all-trades employee who could assist the dining staff wherever they were short-handed.

“I was being pulled back and forth,” Navarro said.

Those understaffed conditions led many employees to feel overworked and disrespected, said Carlos Aramayo, president of Unite Here Local 26. Throughout the pandemic, when a worker would call in sick or miss work, Aramayo said, managers “were not replacing or not even really making an effort, frankly, to replace those folks who had called out.”

“Folks weren’t able to take breaks to go to the bathroom,” Aramayo said. “It was really an insane situation.”

Unite Here Local 26
Dining-hall workers rally at Northeastern U.

But even before the pandemic, the Northeastern dining workers had grown increasingly frustrated with their contractor, Chartwells Higher Education Dining Services. For many, workweeks were capped at 37.5 hours. Health insurance wasn’t affordable, and their hourly pay was nearly $10 short of what dining staff were making at the nearby Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University. Some employees were clinging to two jobs.

“A full-time job is 40 hours a week; everybody knows that,” Aramayo said. “Not only does that mean you make less money, but a lot of folks saw that as a real respect issue and sort of nickel-and-diming.”

Navarro has taken up the fight for change in his first year on the job. For Edwards, on the other hand, change has been a long time coming.

During her 20 years at William & Mary, she has been saving up to buy her own place and move out of her parents’ home. On top of her dining job, she balances two other part-time positions.

Then in late 2020, Edwards and the rest of the William & Mary dining staff were furloughed for two months without pay. To sustain them through the holiday months, Sodexo, which employs dining workers at more than 850 colleges across the U.S. and Canada, gave each of the workers $150 toward health insurance, Edwards said.

But it wasn’t enough. She and other workers scrambled to file for unemployment. Edwards resorted to opening up credit cards, which she is now trying to pay off.

That experience was the tipping point for Edwards and her colleagues. “The pandemic really spoke volumes” to her, she said. She questioned what her employer was doing to help, and concluded “they weren’t doing anything.”

William & Mary’s dining staff first tried to unionize in 2013, and the momentum fizzled out. But this time felt different, Edwards said. Support swelled to include over 120 dining workers, with Unite Here Local 23 as their representative.

Edwards said she currently makes just above the minimum wage of $15.50. Negotiating for a pension, she said, is especially important to her and coworkers who have also dedicated years of their lives to the institution.

Edwards enjoys her work. That’s why she’s stuck it out for so long.

“I like what I do,” Edwards said, “and I also love the children. I love the students.”

But that isn’t enough for her to continue settling for low wages and no pension.

“I’ve been here 20 years,” Edwards said. “So just the thought of me walking away and leaving with nothing. It doesn’t sit well with me.”

A Fairer Contract

Although many campus workers have joined unions and renegotiated contracts this year, unionization efforts were picking up before the pandemic.

In a 2020 report on union activities in higher education, researchers found that there had been “remarkable” growth in organizing efforts among faculty and students. Between 2013 and 2019, 118 new faculty unions formed — 65 of them at private colleges, an 81.3-percent increase since 2012. Graduate students formed 16 new unions in that time period.

As more such efforts have emerged in higher education over the last decade, colleges and contractors have been forced to pay attention. And with the demand for workers still at a high, they could have the upper hand in negotiations, Scott Schneider, a Texas-based lawyer who works with colleges, said. If contractors refuse employee demands, they risk workers’ going on strike and participating in walkouts.

“At this point, given where we are in the economy, that threat of a potential strike or walkout creates more leverage,” Schneider said. “We’re sort of at that point. We’ve been at that point now for probably a couple of years.”

William A. Herbert, executive director of the National Center for the Study of Collective Bargaining in Higher Education and the Professions, at the City University of New York’s Hunter College, agrees that the pressure to meet employee demands is mounting. “There is certainly a much stronger pressure on wage demands and benefits that institutions and subcontract companies have to be responsive to,” Herbert said.

On October 18, Sodexo recognized William & Mary’s dining-staff union. The union is now preparing for negotiations.

In response to a request for comment, a spokesperson from Sodexo said: “Sodexo respects the rights of our employees to unionize or not to unionize, proven by the hundreds of [collective bargaining agreements] we have in good standing with unions across the country.”

A spokesperson at William & Mary referred The Chronicle to Sodexo, and said the dining staff are valued and critical to the university. “Our expectations with all our contracted vendors is that they treat their employees fairly and respectfully,” the statement read.

Many colleges contract with dining vendors for a variety of reasons: They have expertise in food services and agreements with food providers, and they help to minimize costs. This puts pressure on the contractors and workers to engage in negotiations, rather than on the university. Universities usually don’t interfere with their contractor’s management, Schneider said.

“Typically, in those contracts, the university takes the position of ‘we’re super hands-off about how you manage your employees,’” Schneider said.

Other colleges manage their own dining staffs and must negotiate with unions directly. At Pomona the union has been bargaining with the college since summer. Pomona officials released a statement in the wake of last week’s strike that said, “The union’s strike activities are designed to apply pressure on the College to agree to its demand for a one-year contract with an immediate 45-percent wage increase, which is not a realistic or sustainable path.”

Even though colleges may not hold much influence over negotiations between unions and contractors, they are often the target of student activists. Students often put pressure on their colleges to respond to unionization efforts, Schneider said. In response, the institutions can communicate a set of expectations to their contractors, he said, like stating that they expect the employees to be paid a certain wage.

This year, Northeastern workers collaborated with Local 26 on a proposed contract with five key demands. Their concerns were familiar ones: They wanted wages to increase and staffing shortages to be dealt with.

After learning about the union’s demands, Northeastern students rallied behind the workers. Many students saw the working conditions firsthand while they stood in long dining-hall lines as staff struggled to provide prompt service.

At William & Mary, a few days after workers announced their union, students organized a rally and called for action.

Student Activism

“What do we need?” a 22-year-old student shouted to a crowd of a hundred people in a video of a rally at William & Mary. “Respect!” the students, surrounded by trees and brick academic buildings, called back.

“When do we want it?” the chant leader responded, punctuating each word with her fist. “Now!” the crowd shouted.

That student was Salimata Sanfo, a senior studying government and pre-law and one of the organizers for the September rally. She said her chant echoed the complaints she had heard from dining workers, which were largely about the disrespect they felt in their jobs.

For Sanfo, who is Black, supporting the dining workers at William & Mary is personal. She is friends with many of them. While the student body is mostly white, the dining halls are run by a majority Black staff that “is being underpaid, overworked, and exploited,” Sanfo said.

This was the first rally that students at William & Mary held in support of their dining workers. But before that, students started a GoFundMe campaign in April 2020 that raised over $26,000, helping 117 dining workers. Another in late 2020, during the furloughs, raised over $23,000.

“The students did more for the employees than our employer,” Edwards said.

At Northeastern, meanwhile, a series of student-led rallies throughout 2022 helped to pressure the university.

“Northeastern doesn’t want a reputation as a university that doesn’t treat their workers well,” said Claire Wang, 21, a fourth-year computer-science and math major, and president of the Northeastern Progressive Student Alliance.

At a meeting held this year by Northeastern Mutual Aid, a club that confronts food insecurity on campus, Alex Madaras, a third-year history, culture, and law student, heard firsthand from dining workers about their experiences working at the university. She heard stories about food insecurity, expensive health care, and mental-health concerns.

“It didn’t seem right to me that there were workers who were struggling to feed their families with a full-time job on campus.” Madaras, 20, said.

Her club joined the student coalition Huskies Organizing With Labor, known as HOWL, which sought to mobilize student support for the union’s new contract. Sixty-eight campus clubs became part of the coalition. Rallies and marches drew hundreds of students, and the HOWL social media presence received thousands of likes and views.

This past June, following a student-led rally, Madaras and Navarro, the Northeastern barista, sat down for a summer cookout of grilled hot dogs and coleslaw. They were surrounded by other dining workers, student activists, and union organizers. After months of hard work, they felt like they were getting closer to securing a new contract.

Right before classes were set to start this fall, most of the dining employees were in agreement: If their demands weren’t met, 92 percent of a staff of more than 400 was prepared to go on strike.

“We’re all part of the same campus community,” Madaras said. “It’s not like students and workers are separate. We rely on each other.”

‘A Reckoning’

In September, Huskies Organizing With Labor posted an Instagram video of a Northeastern dining worker in front of cheering and clapping co-workers. After over 12 hours of negotiations that pushed to 3:30 a.m., the worker made an announcement: Northeastern’s dining union had won all five of its contract demands.

A decade ago, Northeastern dining workers were paid $9 an hour. Under their union’s recently ratified contract, they’ll be paid a minimum of $20 an hour this year. By 2026, they’ll be making at least $30 an hour.

Full-time workweeks would be extended to 40 hours. Health-care costs for workers were reduced. Pensions were raised. Finally, managers would have to guarantee that staff members who called out would be replaced. Understaffing was no longer an option.

A Northeastern University spokesperson referred The Chronicle to Chartwells. A representative wrote in a statement that the contractor, a division of Compass Group North America, was pleased to have reached an agreement with the dining workers’ Unite Here chapter that provides increased wages and benefits.

“This new contract affirms our ongoing commitment to the overall well-being of our talented team members,” the statement continued. “We are grateful for our workers and their contributions to serving the Northeastern campus.”

Aramayo, of Unite Here Local 26, said the new contract will transform these jobs, which 10 years ago were poverty-level jobs, into positions that allow workers to support their families.

“The higher-education industry should look at what we’ve accomplished here, and realize that any university could make the folks who feed the students have quality jobs that support their families,” Aramayo said.

Beludchy Pierre Louis, 33, a cook at Northeastern and a staff organizer for the union, was at the contract negotiations from 3 p.m. to 3:30 a.m. In a few years, Louis, who has spent the last year juggling his Northeastern position with another at Boston College, said he could consider cutting down to one job.

“Everybody deserves to have better health insurance, better pay, pensions, sick time, 40 hours a week,” Louis said, “the respect and dignity that we deserve.”

“A lot of other colleges are probably going to want the same things,” he said.

Across Massachusetts, other colleges’ dining staff members have been reaching out to Unite Here. Since Northeastern workers won their contract in September, Aramayo said dining workers at six other colleges — including Simmons University, Tufts University, Brandeis University, Emerson College, and the Colleges at Fenway, which includes the Massachusetts College of Art and Design and the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences — have contacted the union.

“There is a bit of a reckoning in the hospitality industry,” Aramayo said. “There’s a reckoning about what kind of jobs are these going to be? Are these going to be jobs where people make a good living, have medical care, and work-life balance?”

“If they aren’t able to become those kinds of jobs,” Aramayo said, then people are “just not even going to apply to these places.”

After having recently won union recognition, Edwards and the rest of the William & Mary dining staff are preparing for negotiations. Wages, pensions, and understaffing will be their main matters of concern.

For Edwards, after 20 years in the job, a new contract could mean savings and pensions. She imagines moving out of her parents’ home and buying a place of her own.

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Grace Mayer

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November 4, 2022