The MCLA experience is designed to elevate students as individuals, leaders, and communicators, fully empowered to make their impression on the world. As our story continues to be written our new Strategic Plan will offer opportunities for positive change to best position us for future challenges and successes.
Given our distinguishing strengths as one of the country’s top ten public liberal arts colleges as well as the significant role MCLA plays in the region, we can and must do more than just meet today’s challenges, we must provide leadership for our campus and for the broader Berkshire community and beyond. This strategic plan will provide us with both a toolbox and road map to meet these challenges and identify opportunities.
Using past successes to reflect on present challenges, the plan will offer a three-year
agenda to move MCLA forward. Strategic planning is an opportunity for institutional
reflection and self-study that takes place within a separate cycle of decennial review
by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), our regional accrediting
agency. As such, the plan will be guided by our self-study that was submitted to the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) as part
of our decennial accreditation process as well as broad input from the alumni, campus,
and local community. Additionally, the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education’s
Equity Agenda will also serve as a guiding document for this work.
Carolyn Dehner, Dean of Academic Affairs, and Jana Boyer, Director of Admission, serve
as co-chairs of the Strategic Planning Steering Committee. Members of the Steering
Committee include:
Seth Bean, APA President/ Assistant Director of Network Engineering
Elizabeth Brown ‘26, Student Athlete
Brenda Burdick, Chair, MCLA Board of Trustees
Jason Canales, Director of Institutional Effectiveness and Planning
Carter Carter, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Psychology
Barbara Chaput, Chief Human Resources Officer
Maggie Clark, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Chair, Education Department
Patrick Connelly, Dean for Institutional Assessment and Continuing Improvement
Kellie Coody, Accountant Administration and Finance
Jennifer Dermady, AFSCME Steward/ Office Manager: Academic Advising & Support, Education,
Honors Program
Paige Dufur ‘26, Student Trustee
Elizabeth Hartung, Ph.D., Professor and Chair, Mathematics
Adam Hildabrand, Recruiting & Athletic Alumni Coordinator, Men's Soccer Head Coach
Taylor Hope ‘24, SGA President
Jacqueline Krzanik, DNP, Director of Health Services
Andre Lynch, Vice Provost for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
Joshua Mendal, Chief of Staff
Spencer Moser, Assistant Dean for Student Growth and Wellbeing
Jeannette Smith, Ph.D., Vice President of Student Affairs
Arlene Theodore, Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Initiatives
Matthew VanHeynigen, Chief Government Relations Officer
Ruby Vega, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Psychology/Director,
MCLA Center for Teaching and Learning
Jeremy Winchester, Ph.D., Director, MOSAIC/Associate Professor of Theatre
More information is available about MCLA's former Strategic Plans
