At the conclusion of a national search, I am pleased to announce that Dr. Chae E. Sweet will be joining the College as Vice President for Academic Affairs starting on March 27, 2023.

With more than 20 years of community college experience, Dr. Sweet is an accomplished, innovative administrator with commendable credentials who will strategically advance our academic programs. Since 2016, Dr. Sweet has held the position of Dean of Liberal Studies at the Community College of Philadelphia, responsible for developing and maintaining high-quality academic programs, conducting institutional program reviews, and managing program accreditation. In her role as Dean, she collaborated with numerous institutions and community partners to enhance academic programs and develop experiential and high-impact learning experiences to increase student success.

Dr. Sweet’s involvement extended well beyond the Liberal Studies division. She co-chaired the Curriculum Committee for seven years and co-led the implementation of the College’s student-learning outcomes assessment management system. In addition, she served on the self-study Steering Committee for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

Before 2016, Dr. Sweet was an associate dean at Passaic County Community College, where she led faculty to implement an accelerated learning program, revamped the delivery of tutorial and academic support, and developed a two-credit college success course. Prior to becoming a dean, she was an assistant professor of English for 10 years at Hudson County Community College in Jersey City.

Dr. Sweet holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Rutgers University, an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from New School University, and an Ed.D. in Higher Education Administration from Grambling University.

I want to sincerely thank Vice President Therol Dix for serving as the Chief Academic Officer and Dr. Lianne Hartman, Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs, for serving as the Accreditation Liaison Officer during this time of transition. I greatly appreciate their leadership to support the College and our students while managing the additional responsibilities.

I also want to extend my gratitude to the Search Committee and more than 100 employees who participated in the candidate open forums last week. Thank you for your valuable feedback, all of which led to the selection of our new Vice President of Academic Affairs.