Cabrini University has announced it will be moving to a three-School structure, a shift identified as part of the institution’s comprehensive evaluation process and reinvention plan.
Effective July 1, 2021, Dean Richard “Rick” Thompson, PhD, will helm the School of Arts and Sciences; Dean Tim Mantz, DBA, will lead the School of Business and Professional Studies; and Beverly Bryde, EdD, will continue in her role as Dean of the School of Education.
“Cabrini’s School of Arts and Sciences, School of Business and Professional Studies, and School of Education align our academic offerings in a way that fosters innovation and cross-disciplinary learning while allowing maximum opportunity for our students,” said Chioma Ugochukwu, PhD, Cabrini’s Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. “This new three-school structure puts the interests and success of our student body first.”
Most academic departments comprising Cabrini’s current School of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) will join programs in the School of Natural Sciences and Allied Health (NSAH) to create the newly formed School of Arts and Sciences. Computer and Information Sciences, a part of Cabrini’s current NSAH, will shift to the School of Business and Professional Studies, formerly the School of Business, Arts, and Media.
Michelle Filling-Brown, PhD, will move on from her role as Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences to serve as Associate Provost, supporting Academic Affairs in managing critical projects and initiatives.
Administratively, Cabrini is moving forward with a Provost and five vice president model, also effective July 1. Ugochukwu will continue in her role as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs; Brian Eury will serve as Chief of Staff and Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives; Steve Highsmith (’88) will serve as Vice President of Advancement and External Affairs; Angela N. Campbell, PhD, returns to Cabrini as Vice President of Mission, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), and Student Engagement, an expansion of the Vice President of Student Life role; and James Cooper will begin his role as Vice President of Finance and Administration on July 21.
As part of these changes to the academic structure and to senior leadership, roles and functions throughout the University have been adjusted accordingly.
These changes continue the implementation of institutional changes initially announced in March 2021 as part of a reinvention initiative, launched in 2019 to fortify the University’s position in a shifting higher education marketplace, the challenges of which precede and were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The work of Cabrini’s reinvention initiative is focusing now on the strategic planning process, identifying opportunities for growth and building upon the successful implementation of streamlined workflows and processes identified to date.