Dr. Stephen Kolison, university president, announced last week that Dr. Judith Horwitz would be the interim provost and vice president for the division of academic affairs. He said she would serve in the capacity while a national search was conducted to fill the position.

In the memo sent to campus staff and faculty, Kolison said Horowitz “has had a distinguished career at SUNY Fredonia and brings a wealth of institutional knowledge from her 11-year career and roles of Vice Provost and Associate Vice President in Academic Affairs. As Vice Provost since 2021, she has represented the Division of Academic Affairs in all facets of campus business, collaborating closely with Deans and Directors to advance significant campus initiatives.”

Kolison said Horowitz successfully oversaw operations and staff in several key areas including the Daniel A. Reed Library, Institutional Effectiveness, the Office of Institutional Research, Planning and Assessment, Online Learning, the Professional Development Center, Extended Learning, the Registrar, and the Office of Student Creative Activity and Research. Other achievements include leadership of the campus participation in the SUNY Promoting Recruitment, Opportunity, Diversity, Inclusion and Growth Fellowship program, which introduces underrepresented minority faculty and Women in Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics faculty to careers at comprehensive colleges.

She also played a key role in successfully securing SUNY Online Plus status for Fredonia’s Master of Science in Education Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages program, two related Advanced Certificates, and the Educational Leadership program.

Dr. Judith Horwitz

“Her extensive experience and remarkable achievements in both academic and professional realms underscore her exceptional qualifications and dedication to advancing SUNY Fredonia,” Kolison said. “Her deep understanding of the university’s mission and her unwavering commitment to academic excellence will serve her well in this new capacity.”

SUNY Fredonia’s transition comes less than a month after Chancellor Dr. John King singled out the university for its efforts in reducing what was once a $17 million deficit. In recent months, SUNY said Fredonia “shows continued leadership on student success, upward mobility and fiscal leadership.” SUNY also hailed efforts during the fall semester with enrollment, which increased 7.2% for first-time undergraduate students.

Reasons for Starrett’s departure were not disclosed by the university in the memos. Starrett was named to the post in August 2021. His appointment included a concurrent tenured position as professor in the Department of Biology. Before being hired at Fredonia, Starrett served as Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Franklin Pierce University in New Hampshire.

Due to an administrative transition, I am writing to inform you of a temporary coverage in the Division of Academic Affairs. Effective immediately, please direct all Academic Affairs matters to Dr. Judy Horowitz, Vice Provost.

Additional planning regarding this transition is underway, and I will update you as soon as possible. In the meantime, I want to express my thanks to Dr. David Starrett for serving our university for the last 3.5 years as Provost and Executive Vice President.

I appreciate your commitment to SUNY Fredonia, to our mission, and to our students. I will be in touch with you soon.