SUNY New Paltz President Donald Christian to…
SUNY New Paltz President Donald Christian to retire in June 2022; search for replacement to start in fall
Tania Barricklo- Daily Freeman
SUNY New Paltz President Donald P. Christian talks about coronavirus testing of students and staff on Monday, January 25, 2021 at SUNY New Paltz. To his left is SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras.
By Daily Freeman | news@freemanonline.com |
PUBLISHED: May 25, 2021 at 9:45 a.m. | UPDATED: July 24, 2021 at 3:44 p.m.
NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – SUNY New Paltz President Donald P. Christian intends to retire at the end of June 2022, following a 45-year career in higher education and 12 years as president of the college, according to a press release.
During the 2021-22 academic year, a search will be conducted for Christian's replacement consistent with the SUNY-wide presidential search guidelines, the college's press release said.
"It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as president of SUNY New Paltz and to have had such a long and rewarding tenure in this role," Christian said in a statement. "I am pleased and proud of the collective accomplishments of this community during the last 11 years and look forward to what we can achieve in the coming year.
"Amid budget challenges and more recently a worldwide pandemic that tested all our abilities and stamina, this community and each individual student and employee, has persevered and excelled through it all," Christian said. "The quintessential SUNY New Paltz community spirit I have come to respect and cherish has been especially apparent this past year."
Christian was appointed the college's eighth president in 2011 after serving as interim president in 2010-11, and provost and vice president for academic affairs at New Paltz in 2009-10, the release said. During the remainder of his tenure, Christian's focus will be to position SUNY New Paltz for continuing success and to set the stage for the next president. Work will include ongoing planning for a post-pandemic future, additional progress on diversity and inclusion and anti-racist initiatives, and guiding campus leaders through the transition to a new president.
Through Christian's leadership, the college's reputation as a top-tier public institution has grown, the release said. The college has been recognized for high retention and graduation of students from historically underrepresented groups, as well as first-generation and low-income students, with rates well above state and national averages for both public and private institutions. Additionally, the college continues to rank in the top 3 percent of colleges and universities in a nationwide index of upward socioeconomic mobility of its graduates and is nationally recognized for its support of veteran and military-affiliated students.
Christian has been a strong advocate for the value of a liberal education tailored to 21st century needs, for study abroad and student research experiences, and for the great breadth of disciplines and majors at New Paltz, the release said. He has supported the rapid growth of STEM enrollments and the development of additive manufacturing and 3D printing at the college, including securing millions in state and private funding to provide equipment and build a new Engineering Innovation Hub on campus. Christian has also worked to expand and strengthen programs and opportunities for students from underrepresented groups, and increase the college's focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Prior to coming to New Paltz, Christian was dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and a professor of biology at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire from 2004-09; associate dean for the biological sciences and professor at the University of Montana from 1997-2004; and professor of biology at the University of Minnesota-Duluth from 1978-97, including terms as department chair and director of graduate studies. After completing his Ph.D. at Michigan State University in 1977, Christian worked there for one year as an instructor in the zoology department and curator of mammals at the university's museum.
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