Dr. Robert A. Scott to Conclude His 15 Years of Exceptional Service as Adelphi University's President in July 2015

Dr. Robert A. Scott

Dr. Robert A. Scott, Adelphi University president, chief executive officer and professor of anthropology and sociology since July 2000, announced today his decision to conclude his service as president and CEO at the end of his 15th year in the role. Effective July 1, 2015, Dr. Scott will assume the positions of president emeritus and University professor. A national search for his successor is underway.

“These years have been immensely gratifying to me,” Dr. Scott said. “With the support of a dynamic and talented team, we charted a course that would bring distinction to the University, create a campus community that is focused on student success, engage our regional partners in finding solutions to critical challenges and reconnect with our alumni. Adelphi’s endowment has tripled, undergraduate enrollment has grown by 63 percent and we have achieved the highest graduation rates among comprehensive private colleges in the Long Island region. Annual giving by undergraduate alumni, one indicator of engagement, continues to grow every year and is trending towards 10 percent, up from 2 percent at the start of my tenure. We have added or renovated more than 500,000 square-feet of state-of-the-art facilities while maintaining our “A” rating by Standard & Poor’s. Confidence in this direction can be measured by the response of our faculty, staff and alumni to the University’s first-ever comprehensive fundraising campaign, with 100 percent of the board, 60 percent of the faculty and staff and more than 16,000 alumni contributing,” he concluded.

Robert B. Willumstad ’05 (Hon.), chair of the University’s Board of Trustees said, “President Scott has been the driving force of the transformation that has taken place at Adelphi since 2000. The board is exceedingly grateful for his exceptional service, especially his commitment to ensuring that Adelphi is an excellent and relevant university dedicated to student success. Of equal merit has been his focus on creating an organizational culture that values the role of alumni in ensuring a robust and forward-looking institution.” In regards to the search, Mr. Willumstad stated that the board has begun the process of forming a search committee that will include trustees, faculty, staff, students and alumni. Mr. Willumstad said that he expects to announce the membership of the search committee in the coming days.

The University is at the strongest point in its history thanks to nearly a decade and a half of Dr. Scott’s leadership. Highlights of recent accomplishments, many of which have been achieved as part of the University’s strategic plan, AU 2015, include:

External Recognition

• Accolades for academic excellence and relevance of our programs and outcomes include:
  • named to The President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, with the additional honor in 2013 of receiving the award “With Distinction,” a category reserved for “top tier applicant institutions.”
  • national ranking as a top National University in the annual U.S. News “Best Colleges” report and noted as one of the Best Colleges for Veterans
  • the College of Nursing and Public Health and the School of Social Work are included on the U.S. News “Best Graduate Schools” list with the School of Social Work appearing as one of the top 50 in the country
  • recognition by The Princeton Review in its The Best 378 Colleges: 2014 Edition and Guide to 322 Green Colleges
  • The Education Trust selection as a Top 25 Gainer in Hispanic Student Graduation Rates Among Private Institutions
  • ranked in the top 20 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools in the country that are doing the most to embrace military service members, veterans and spouses as students and ensure their success on campus, earning the designation as a 2014 Military Friendly School®.
• External recognitions for value include:
  • eight consecutive years as a Fiske Guide to Colleges Best Buy
  • a Top College pick by Forbes Magazine
  • a 2013 Best Bang for the Buck by Washington Monthly magazine
  • a leader among national universities for the return on investment factor (ROI) according to Payscale.com
• A 2013 report from the New York City Department of Education cited the Ruth S. Ammon School of Education as tied for the highest percentage of its alumni teachers considered to be highly effective in student improvement on standardized math and English tests between fourth and eighth grade.
• In 2003, Adelphi became a non-governmental organization (NGO) of the United Nations
• In addition to adding three new women’s sports since 2001, in 2009, Adelphi moved to the more prestigious Northeast-10 Conference and continued winning championships as well as the conference’s Presidents’ Cup for overall success.
• Since 2000, the Adelphi Panthers have earned six NCAA Division II national titles and 81 NCAA national tournament berths.
• The endowment has more than tripled to over $160 million and total assets have grown to $408 million from $171 million in 10 years. This measure of fiscal strength contributed to the University sustaining an unsubsidized “A” bond rating from Standard & Poor’s since 2008.

Academic Strength

• Since 2001, the number of full-time faculty has increased from 194 to 340
• Unique partnerships with private donors such as the McDonell Fellowship Program for promising students in the sciences, the annual Hagedorn Lecture on Corporate Social Responsibility and the Community Fellows Program have been implemented.
• Adelphi has implemented a rigorous program review system and has sought and achieved discipline-seeking specific accreditations including AACSB, NCATE, ASHA, APA, and other examples.
• The Center for Health Innovation was established in 2012 to create and foster practitioner-focused, interdisciplinary academic programming, healthcare research, community partnerships and leadership—all with the goal of meeting current and emergent healthcare needs.
• Building connections to the Long Island nonprofit community, the successful Center for Nonprofit Leadership was established in 2006 and remains the only such center in the country attached to a School of Social Work.
• Sustained investments have been made in innovative programs that link regional needs with institutional strengths such as the innovative Bridges to Adelphi program and the Social Training Center, which support students with autism spectrum disorder, and the Levermore Global Scholars program that links academic programming with global issues, the United Nations and local voluntarism.
• The Alice Brown Early Learning Center was dedicated in 2008, establishing a state-of-the-art early childhood education learning lab for our Ruth S. Ammon School of Education students as well as aspiring professionals in social work, psychology and healthcare who are training to work with young children.

Enrollment and Student Success

• Total enrollment (FTE) has grown by 48 percent since 2001 with the highest graduation rates of any comprehensive private college in the Long Island region
• In support of teaching and learning, instructional expenses per FTE are now a higher proportion of the budget than at most other institutions in the region.
• Student participation in Undergraduate Research Day has grown from 53 participants when we launched the initiative in 2005, to more than 200 in 2013. According to the most recent survey of graduate alumni (2011-2012 graduates), 93 percent of master’s graduates report having a job in their field within a year of graduation and 83 percent within six months of graduation. Ninety-six percent of those who have a job reported that it was related to their field.
• Approximately 77 percent of undergraduate students now participate in some form of experiential learning—e.g., internships, clinical placements, fieldwork, etc. According to the fall 2013 National Survey of Student Engagement, two thirds of Adelphi seniors said they worked at an internship or fieldwork of some sort, a significantly higher proportion than their peers.

Facilities

• The first new construction on the Garden City campus campus in more than 30 years began in 2002. Since then, more than $250 million of construction and renovation has been completed totaling more than 500,000 square-feet of space. Features include additional residence hall capacity for more than 350 students and LEED certification by the US Green Building Council for 150,000 square-feet of the new and renovated facilities.
• Construction of a new 100,000 square-foot Nexus Building and Welcome Center began in fall 2013. This building, expected to be LEED certified and completed in the summer of 2015, will become the state-of-the-art home for the recently renamed College of Nursing and Public Health, as well as the Center for Health Innovation and essential student services.

Philanthropy and Alumni Involvement

• Alumni have become re-engaged in events and philanthropy. The undergraduate alumni participation rate in annual giving has risen from under 2 percent in 2001 and is trending towards 10 percent. Successful completion of the University’s first-ever comprehensive fundraising campaign, in which more than 60 percent of the faculty and staff and more than 16,000 alumni and friends participated, exceeding the $56 million goal.
• In 2006, the Ruth S. Ammon School of Education was named following a multimillion dollar gift from Carol A. Ammon, M.B.A. ’79, ’10 (Hon.). Following a $9.5 million gift from trustee and chairman of the board Robert B. Willumstad ’05 (Hon.), the School of Business was named the Robert B. Willumstad School of Business.
• Today, there are 24 alumni members of the 30-member Board of Trustees. In 2001, there were just 6. Alumni also serve on several advisory councils and as mentors to current students.
• In 2003, the first million dollar gift from a living donor was received. Today, there are 16 members of the Million Dollar Roundtable that was established in 2006.

The University has established a presidential search website where the president’s message to the campus, his bio and details of the search process can be found.

About Dr. Robert A. Scott

While serving as president, Dr. Scott continues to be a prolific writer and often participates in the public dialogue through his lectures and service on numerous boards including the Long Island Association, the Paul Taylor Dance Company and Global Kids, Inc. and his membership on the Council on Foreign Relations.

Frequently published, his essays have earned Gold International MarCom and BOLI awards. The host of the television program Exploring Critical Issues, which has garnered multiple Telly Awards and a Gold International MarCom Award, Dr. Scott and his guests tackle important regional and national public policy issues.

In recognition of his ethical and transformational leadership, the audit firm Grant-Thornton dedicated its 2013 annual report on higher education to Dr. Scott as the leader of Adelphi’s progress. Since joining Adelphi, Dr. Scott has been named one of the 100 Most Influential Long Islanders by Long Island Business News and was recognized with the 2008 Chief Executive Leadership Award by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) District II. He has received numerous additional accolades, including: The Association for Commerce Industry and Technology Award for Distinguished Service in the Field of Higher Education; the Raoul Wallenberg Humanitarian Leadership Award; the Garden City Chamber of Commerce Achievement Award; and the Outstanding Paper Award for Excellence from Emerald Group Publishing, Ltd. in 2003, among others.

» Read more about Dr. Robert A. Scott

For media inquiries, please contact Lori Duggan Gold, Vice President for Communications (p – 516.877.3262, c – 516.724.0693, e – duggangold@adelphi.edu) or Kali Chan, Director of Media Relations (p – 516.877.4040, c – 516.993.5677, e – chan@adelphi.edu)