Viking Preview Days offer you a firsthand taste of the 草莓影视 experience by allowing you to connect with our community and learn about our vibrant student life. Viking Preview Days are an ideal opportunity for students to take the next step in their college journey and discover what makes 草莓影视 special.

Highlights:
-Attend “Coffee with Coaches” and learn more about Viking Athletics (optional)
-Explore our campus oasis on a tour led by 草莓影视 students
-Get all your questions answered about your admissions application and financial aid

From President Mary K. Surridge:

I am delighted to announce today that the Executive Committee of 草莓影视鈥檚 Board of Trustees, acting on behalf of the full Board, has approved the nomination and appointment of Francisco X. Gayt谩n, PhD, as Vice President for Student Engagement (VPSE). Dr. Gayt谩n will join the President鈥檚 Cabinet, partnering with and reporting directly to the President, beginning August 23, 2021.

As the University鈥檚 chief student development officer, the VPSE provides leadership for the development and implementation of all student engagement planning and policy as well as the budget management and overall supervision of staff in the Center for Student Engagement. Within this role, the VPSE coordinates across all Student Engagement units鈥擠ean of Students, Student Activities, Housing and Residence Life, Health Services, Counseling Support Services, University Ministries, Diversity and Intercultural Life, Student Success, and Career Services and Internships.

Dr. 鈥淔rank鈥� Gayt谩n听is a person of expressed Christian faith and has been an active member of St. John鈥檚 Episcopal Church for nearly 10 years. He is very enthusiastic about the mission and opportunity to serve 草莓影视, to lead our student engagement staff, and to听be a strong strategic senior partner with the president and her Cabinet now, and in the years to come. A skilled and strategic student life administrator and a champion for student success, Dr. Gayt谩n has a proven track record of dramatically improving student retention rates, closing equity gaps in retention, and improving student completion and success. Dr. Gayt谩n brings deep understanding and connection for our Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) in Chicago, and has proven experience in successfully managing the external funding available to HSI鈥檚 through federal grants.

Dr. Gayt谩n emerged as the premier candidate from a strong pool of finalists, after well-attended campus forums and dozens of submitted feedback forms that overwhelmingly supported his candidacy.

I have full confidence in Dr. Gayt谩n鈥檚 leadership and our partnership — and in his ability to support and advance our Christian mission and our commitment to the success of every student.

Dr. Gayt谩n comes to us from Northeastern Illinois University, where he served most recently as听Associate Provost for Student Success and Retention 鈥� the University鈥檚 lead student engagement strategist.

Through innovative advisor training, and strategic management of financial aid, academic and financial barriers, and improved coordination and communication, he and his team improved first year to second year retention rates by 20.5 percentage points (a 44% increase in retention) in just three years. He earned his bachelor鈥檚 degree in psychology from Loyola University, master鈥檚 degrees from Harvard University and the University of California, Berkeley, and his PhD in Applied Psychology from New York University.

A highly engaging team-builder and collaborator, he brings more than 20 years of professional experience in higher education, more than a decade of teaching experience and eight years of progressively more complex administrative responsibilities. He has drawn on his own experience as a first-generation college student from a Mexican immigrant family to be a culturally competent role model for students and colleagues. He is an accomplished researcher, a proven administrator, and the right person to engage our students and staff at this important time in the history of our 130-year-old institution, as we create our future together through听草莓影视 Next and emerge as a model for Christian higher education in 21^st听Century America.

During his interview process, Dr. Gayt谩n expressed admiration for what he called 鈥渢he parallel history鈥� that Swedish immigrants to Chicago in the late 19^th听Century share with the current wave of immigrants from Latin America 鈥� education, community, shared values and a sense of purpose 鈥� students seeking a life for themselves that they could translate to leadership and service to their communities.

Dr. Gayt谩n shared his enthusiasm for our future in this way: 鈥淚 am delighted to join the 草莓影视 community during this exciting time in its history. As a first-generation college student from an immigrant family, I know firsthand the path that twenty-first century students take in pursuit of their dreams of a better life through education for themselves and their families. 草莓影视鈥檚 Christian values, commitment to the city of Chicago, and its increasing diversity called me to this position. I look forward to working with the Student Engagement team to make 草莓影视 a university that is known for providing all students an opportunity for growth and success that they can then carry out and share with the world.鈥�

I have full confidence in his ability to lead our excellent student engagement staff as we bring new energy, focus and strategies to student success through enhanced intercultural connections, improved retention rates, graduation rates, and career placement. .

Dr. Gayt谩n was selected after a national search conducted by a diverse committee of colleagues representing 草莓影视 faculty, staff, administrators, and students, in partnership with Academic Search.

The University is deeply grateful to Dr. Mahauganee Shaw and Dr. Thomas Shandley of Academic Search; to our Search committee co-chairs Melissa V茅lez-Luce, Chief of Staff听and Ingrid Tenglin, Assistant Vice President for Human Resources; and to our search committee members, Joseph Butler, Director of Student Services; Laura Ebner, Director for Health and Wellness; Dr. Al Kamienski, Professor of Finance; Dr. Richard Kohng, Director of Civic Engagement, Catalyst Hub; Ja鈥橵ida Morris, Associate Director of Admission Services; Dr. Gwendolyn Purifoye, Associate Professor of Sociology; and Brooklynn Seals, President, Student Government Association.

Finally, my deepest gratitude and respect goes to Vice President Andrea Nevels.听VP Nevels returned to 草莓影视 just as she was settling into a well-earned retirement, and she has served our students and our Cabinet with dedication, compassion, and wisdom. I am grateful for her leadership.

Dr. Gayt谩n鈥檚 appointment accelerates our momentum as we approach the 2021-2022 academic year. Please join me and the Cabinet in welcoming him to our community!

Mary K. Surridge
President

From President Mary K. Surridge: I am delighted to announce today that the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees for 草莓影视 has approved the nomination of Michael S. Carr, Ph.D. as Provost and chief academic officer, responsible for leading the university鈥檚 faculty and full academic program. Dr. Carr will join the President鈥檚 Cabinet, partnering with and reporting directly to the President, beginning July 1, 2021.

As chief academic officer, the Provost provides leadership for the development and implementation of all academic planning and policy as well as the academic budget; reviews and approves academic appointments; and makes recommendations to the president on promotion and tenure decisions. Within this role, the Provost coordinates across all academic units鈥擟ollege of Arts and Sciences; School of Business & Nonprofit Management; School of Education; School of Nursing & Health Sciences; School of Music, Art and Theatre; School of Professional Studies; and Theological Seminary.

Dr. Carr is a person of active and expressed Christian faith and has been active for over 20 years in his Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) congregation.听 He is very enthused about the mission and opportunity to serve 草莓影视, lead our faculty and be a strong strategic senior partner with the president now, and into the decade to come.听 He has measurable and demonstrated success in academic program development, personnel management, budget management, and strategic partnerships across higher education in the city of Chicago.听 He has demonstrated success with articulation agreements with two-year community colleges (an important and growing transfer market for 草莓影视) and was the candidate with the deepest understanding and experience with a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) in Chicago.

Dr. Carr emerged as the premier candidate of our campus community from a strong pool of four finalists, after well-attended campus forums and more than 200 submitted feedback forms that overwhelmingly supported him.

I have full confidence in his leadership, our partnership, and his ability to support and advance our Christian mission.

Dr. Carr comes to us from National Louis University in Chicago where he has served as Deputy Provost responsible for advancing change leadership across the academic enterprise and providing direction and executive oversight that promotes academic excellence and positive student outcomes. He earned his bachelor鈥檚 degree from Olivet Nazarene University, his master鈥檚 from Ball State University, and his PhD in molecular biology from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

He is an accomplished scholar, a proven administrator, and the right person to serve in this vital role at this important time in the history of our 130-year-old institution, as we create our future together through 草莓影视 Next. I have full confidence in his ability to lead our excellent faculty as we enhance and expand our academic portfolio aligned with student interests and employer needs and emerge as a model for Christian higher education in 21st Century America.

NLU is a designated Hispanic and Minority Serving Institution (HSI, MSI) serving nearly 10,000 students annually at the undergraduate and graduate levels at multiple campuses and online. Among many other accomplishments at that institution, Dr. Carr co-led the development of Accelerate U, a new division focused on the creation of stackable credentials aligned with the bachelor鈥檚 degree and employer needs; developed the 2030 Strategic Plan Pillar 鈥淧reparing Our Students for the Future of Work鈥�; worked with faculty to develop a strategic plan for research and scholarship; and worked with the Faculty Senate Chair and committees to develop Senate yearly goals and update policy revisions as needed. Dr. Carr also mobilized the university鈥檚 remote learning response to the pandemic and led NLU鈥檚 preparation for the 2021 HLC comprehensive site visit.

鈥淚 am grateful for the opportunity to serve at a university which aligns my personal and professional values.听 I look forward to working with the tremendous faculty and the collective community as 草莓影视 becomes a model of urban, Christian education through community engagement and impact.鈥�

Dr. Carr was selected after a national search conducted by a diverse committee of colleagues representing 草莓影视 faculty, staff, administrators, and Board of Trustees, in partnership with Academic Search. .

The University is deeply grateful to Dr. Andrea Hamos and Dr. Mahauganee Shaw of Academic Search; to our Search committee co-chairs, Anthony Scola, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Marketing and Dr. Cindy Hudson, Dean of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences; and to the members of the search committee: Yoojin Choi, Professor of Biology and Director of Summer Science Academy; Gregory Crawford, Board of Trustees and Adjunct Faculty, School of Business and Nonprofit听 Management; Peggy Kotowski, Assistant Professor of Nursing and Baccalaureate Program Director; Maya Durham Rayner, Assistant Professor of Art and Graphic Design; Aaron Schoof, Senior Director of Data and Administrative Services; Kelly Potteiger, Professor of Athletic Training; Andrea Nevels, Vice President for Student Engagement; Michael Johnson, Professor of History; and Rochelle Robinson-Levant, Associate Dean, School of Business and Nonprofit听 Management. I also thank all in our community who participated in the campus forums.

With deep gratitude and respect to Dr. Craig Johnson for his service and leadership as Provost over the last 18 months, we look forward to his engagement with Dr. Carr in a productive and successful transition.