Diana L. Rogers-Adkinson is senior vice chancellor for academic and student affairs and chief academic officer for the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, providing system-level leadership for 10 universities serving approximately 80,000 students.

 

"I thought she was really able to articulate the value of a liberal arts education and our mission to both society and, you know, to our students in their lives," said Trustees Buffy Lord before presenting the motion to offer her the post. "I think that she'll be a fantastic advocate for MCLA within Berkshire County, but also in Boston. You know, my sense is that she's going to be able to fight for us if it needs to happen."

 

Rogers-Adkinson accepted the post by phone immediately after the vote, pending negotiations and approval by the Board of Higher Education. 

 

She was one of four finalists for the post out of 102 completed applications. All four spent time on campus over the past month, speaking with students, faculty, trustees and community members. 

 

Trustees expounded on her experience, leadership and communication style. She was also one of two candidates, with preferred by the faculty, the college's unions and Higher Education Commissioner Noe Ortega.

 

The second candidate preferred, Michael J. Middleton, provost and vice president at Ramapo College of New Jersey, withdrew after consultation wiht his family, according to Lord. 

 

The other two candidates were David Jenemann is dean of the Patrick Leahy Honors College and professor of English and film and television studies at the University of Vermont, and Sherri Givens Mylott, vice president of university advancement at the private University of La Verne in California.

 

Previously, Rogers-Adkinson was provost at Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania, where she helped lead the academic integration of three legacy universities, and has held provost and dean roles at Bloomsburg University and Southeast Missouri State University.

 

A tenured professor and published scholar, she holds a doctor of philosophy from Kent State University and is recognized for collaborative leadership, fiscal stewardship, and a strong commitment to equity and access.

 

"Diana has a strong, thorough understanding of MCLA through her NEASC (New England Association of Schools and Colleges) accreditation and all the research and time that she took to prepare for her interviews," said search committee co-Chair Brenda Burdick in putting Rogers-Adkinson's name forward.

 

Burdick was impressed with the candidate's data-filled enrollment playbook, her emphasis on "honest recruitment" and her 45-day test, in which you make a change, assess after 45 days and determine the next course. 

 

Committee co-Chair Yvonne Spicer described Rogers-Adkinson as "an exceptional candidate." 

 

"I thought her breadth of diversity and her experience as a professional leader, the different roles that she has held in academia, I'm convinced she will hit the ground running," she said. "She's invested in the growth of MCLA. She understands the role of leadership, and balancing her leadership with the role of engaging with faculty and staff is so critically important." 

 

Her supporters all believed that she would be a strong supporter of the college on Beacon Hill and would develop strong relationships within the community. 

 

"She's coming in with a with a base of understanding, and her eyes are open," said Trustee Thomas Bernard, also  a search committee member. "She wants to be here, and she wants to build on our strengths and help us surmount and overcome some of our challenges. ...

 

"One of the key things in my role on the search committee was understanding how this new president is going to interface with the community and be not just a president for MCLA, but a president for for North Adams, the northern Berkshires, in the community."

 

Trustee Jean Clarke-Mitchel said "she has demonstrated an ability to engage thoughtfully and comfortably speaking about her communication style, being able to being able to communicate with everyone." 

 

Trustee Darlene Rodowciz appreciated her work in neighborhood relationships in her current role, her budget management and "I think, lastly, what resonated was that her openness and sharing her lived experience that I think can relate with a lot of the students."

 

Her ability to be comfortable from the mailroom to the boardroom is "absolutely critical at a small institution," said Trustee W.E. David Halbert, and Trustee Yina Moore said, for her, it was that Rogers-Adkinson seemed the most well-rounded, her vision for leadership and that she was not afraid to ask tough questions while keeping her humor. 

 

Two trustees, Benjamin Downing and student representive Allie Bayer, broke with the board to cast their votes for David Jenemann.

 

Bayer said the values he professed in his campus discussions align with the board's, he has experience in dealing with state legislatures, fundraising and represents "the ideas and priorities of someone who served as a dean of a college who is relatively the same size as our entire student body."

 

Downing agreed, saying, he was "not someone who is going to try to come into MCLA and reinvent the wheel, but someone who is going to try to breathe life and new energy into the 'Finding Our Voice' strategic plan, but also who is going to challenge this community."

 

Downing, however, said the pool of candidates was "incredibly qualified," and that he had struggled to choosing between Jenemann and Rogers-Adkinson.

 

"It was remarkable to see the quality and the diversity of candidates who wanted to be the leader of this community, wanted to be a part of this community," he said. "And I can say without hesitation that there were likely at least 30 candidates who I would enthusiastically have endorsed to be the next leader."

 

Lord said the expectation is that a contract approved by the state will be ready by the next trustees meeting and that Rogers-Adkinson will take her post July 1, or thereabouts. 

 

James Birge, the 12th president, is retiring after 10 years leading the college. The search for his replacement began last fall when he announced his departure by June 30. 

 

Lord said she was especially struck by how excited Rogers-Adkinson was about Berkshire County and how she looked forward to forging a relationship with Berkshire Community College's new president. 

 

"She truly values her own liberal arts education, but I think the thing that she was able to articulate well is that the liberal arts, it's about teaching you to be well-rounded," Lord said. "It's about learning to learn and being able to engage in critical thinking, and all of those serve you in whatever profession you end up in ...

 

"So the benefits of the liberal arts education that I think she can articulate really well."