For twenty-seven years, Dr. Paula Rooney served as the president of Dean College. Dr. Rooney oversaw many great things at Dean, such as the school turning into a four-year school and the school's acceptance into the NCAA. Last October, Dr. Rooney announced that she would no longer serve as President of Dean College and would officially retire.
In June, the Dean College Board of Trustees announced that Kenneth Elmore would succeed Dr. Rooney as President of Dean College. Before Dean, Elmore graduated from Brown University, Boston University, and New England Law and has served thirty years in higher education. Elmore has worked as a community builder and educator at Boston University, helping to build a strong community with many diverse cultures.
Working in higher education, President Elmore has come to believe that there is a difference between being a teacher and an educator. In President Elmore's experience as both, being a teacher is teaching one subject to a group of students, while an educator covers broader policy in a community. Although there are plenty of similarities and differences between the two, President Elmore's main concern is to help build strong communities for everyone.
Dean College is a small but diverse campus with much of its student body living outside of the New England area. Many students will naturally have different values than others, and many people tend to learn their values from their communities. President Elmore hopes to build the community up and help students respectfully speak about their beliefs without fearing backlash from their peers.
Previously at Boston University, President Elmore helped expand the Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground. Howard Thurman was a community leader who tried to build bridges between different people by starting a dialogue, no matter how different their backgrounds were. An area, whether it is a physical building or an event that accomplishes the same goal of the Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground, is something President Elmore advocates for.
In modern-day society, dialogue and understanding seem to be ignored in favor of shouting matches. Whether these shouting matches occur on the news or on the street, politics are divisive and intense across nearly all political issues. President Elmore pledges to make an environment where everyone feels welcome to express their opinions no matter what their beliefs are.
Diversity is another value held in high regard by President Elmore. At a school like Dean, where many students come to study from around the world, President Elmore believes in making an environment where everyone can feel welcome. Uniting communities is something President Elmore is good at and intends to continue doing at Dean.
Although President Elmore has only been at Dean for a short time, he already has goals for the future. President Elmore hopes to increase financial aid and enhance the student's academic experience by encouraging student involvement on campus. This will hopefully help retain many students for their entire academic careers.
The 2022-23 school year at Dean College will begin on September 7th and will kick off a new era at Dean. President Elmore looks to continue the model of excellence at Dean College, the Dean Difference. Elmore will lead Dean for years to come with the aid of the Board of Trustees alongside newly appointed Chancellor Edward M. Augustus Jr.
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