Dean College’s dual leadership

Photos | Courtesy of dean college Kenneth Elmore (left), dean of students at Boston University, will become the first Black president at Dean College. Edward Augustus (right), seen here at a 2018 rally for the Worcester Red Sox, will be Dean's first chancellor.

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By Stephen Underwood

Dean College in Franklin announced in June two historic appointments to its leadership team. Kenneth Elmore will serve as the school’s 14th president and former Worcester city manager Edward Augustus will be the school’s first-ever chancellor.

Founded in 1865, Dean is home to 1,121 full-time students and 400 part-time students enrolled in 30 bachelor’s and associate degree programs.

Elmore will become the college's first Black president after succeeding former president Paula Rooney, who served for 27 years before retiring at the end of the spring semester. Elmore previously served as the associate provost and the dean of students at Boston University, where he has been a member of the leadership team for more than 20 years. He previously worked as a practicing attorney.

Augustus, who officially left his post as Worcester city manager at the end of May, will be responsible for business development, alumni and community relations, facilities, technology, and strategic planning at Dean. Meanwhile, Elmore will focus on academic affairs, student life, enrollment, and retention.

“We found in Ken and Ed a perfect combination,” said Board Chair Mark Boyce. “We wanted to split up the roles of president and chancellor because we want to foster an atmosphere that is innovative and collaborative and let people do what they do best because we want to invest in all levels of the organization. The first investment we’re making is in Ed as chancellor to look at revenue sources we haven’t looked at in the past. His depth of experience will help forge new partnerships for our school. With Ken we want to take the student experience to a new level. Both of these men will help carry out our mission for many years to come.”

The choice to have both a president and a chancellor is a first for a private central Massachusetts college and will split the leadership responsibilities between external and internal relations. The only other Central Massachusetts college or university with a chancellor is UMass Chan Medical School in Worcester, which doesn't have a president.

Finding common ground

As the landscape in higher education evolves, Boyce said it was critical Dean expand its leadership team to include experienced higher education and community leaders with diverse backgrounds.

“I’m excited about the notion that I can add to the incredible Dean story,” Elmore said. “These are challenging times for sure in higher education. But I like to be challenged. Issues we’re going to face include navigating a climate impacted by COVID-19 and economic downturn. But I’m really excited about the possibilities of joining a wonderful new community and being able to have an impact.”

Throughout his career in higher education, Elmore has been dedicated to making and keeping the common ground compelling. Elmore’s signature is his commitment to public engagement and the pluralistic ideal. His goal is to break barriers of divisiveness by pushing communities to discover their shared humanity and to foster meaningful, authentic friendships. He has worked with students – graduate and undergraduate – to expand their intellectual, social, and spiritual growth, he said.

Elmore co-led efforts at Boston University to facilitate a climate for free speech and expression – to expose, debate, and wrestle with ideas, understand bias, and encourage critical engagement. Early in his career as a dean of students, Elmore pushed for a long-standing weekly discussion series – Coffee and Conversation – to foster inclusive atmosphere through listening and idea exchange.

“The ethos of common ground is really what I hope I can add to at Dean,” said Elmore. “One of the things I did at BU was engage the community to just talk about the issues of the day in a way that was respectful and can lead to some meaningful action and ideas being exchanged. I hope to implement that here. We are at this juncture right now in higher education where we’re really starting to interrogate what commonality means. I want to bring that conversation to Dean.”

Elmore has been an advocate of fostering an institutional mindset ensuring that traditional non-academic departments understand the student experience is multi-dimensional and not solely about social integration and skill-based experiences outside the classroom as a way to achieve greater outcomes for students.

“Dean has done a great job in preparing students to launch out into the world,” said Elmore. “Our academic programs are second to none, but it’s also about the launch. It’s about putting students out in the world and making sure they are in the community before they graduate. I want to put an emphasis on the community.”

Outside partnerships

Dean maintains a long-standing exclusive academic partnership with Kraft Sports + Entertainment of Foxborough. The ownership group presides over the New England Patriots, New England Revolution, and Patriot Place. Dean's partnership with Kraft Sports + Entertainment allows students to gain access to a vast amount of opportunities in the sports and business world, including hands-on instruction from executives within Kraft Sports + Entertainment

“We want to continue to build on Dean’s legacy of outreach,” Augustus said. “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to serve Dean College in this newly formed role. I look forward to working closely with Kenn and the Dean community. We are all going to form a tremendous team.”

Dean plays NCAA Division III sports for 16 athletic teams, has an alumni network of more than 25,000, and an endowment of more than $60 million.

“I’m very excited,” said Augustus. “I have had the privilege to serve as a member of the board of trustees for almost 10 years and have seen first-hand how special Dean is. The Dean difference is real, and I look forward to furthering the college’s mission now and in the future.”

Elmore and Augustus will be on campus starting July 5, when their appointments begin.