Alfred University President Mark Zupan has been tapped to lead Saxon Nation for another five years.
The Alfred University Board of Trustees said July 9 it had unanimously approved Zupan’s reappointment as university president. The new five-year term began on July 1.
Zupan was named the AU’s 14th president in 2016.
The private university, which also includes the New York State College of Ceramics, has approximately 2,000 students, including both undergrads and graduate students.
Before Zupan’s recent reappointment, the Board of Trustees approved new three-year terms in 2019 and 2022.
The son of Yugoslavian immigrants, Zupan has championed inclusivity and promoted Alfred University’s commitment to live its university motto: “Fiat Lux!” − Let there be light!
University trustees described Zupan as a trusted and effective leader who has met the challenges of the times.
“Mark has demonstrated an extraordinary combination of visionary leadership together with an ability to navigate the challenges of the moment,” said Steve Heine, chair of the Board of Trustees.
Heine said Zupan’s tenure has seen the university make “significant progress” in multiple dimensions.
“Uniting each of these is an understanding of the centrality of our students and the quality of their experience, the community of faculty and staff that fosters that experience, and how that experience prepares graduates to lead purposeful lives,” Heine said.
Heine noted that under Zupan’s guidance, “Alfred’s extraordinary academic breadth and depth has been supplemented by new degree programs, each of which responds to marketplace demands. Importantly, the ability to integrate diverse disciplines is now supported through the enhanced ease with which our students can pursue double majors.”
University trustees said Zupan has overseen significant investments in the university’s facilities, including major improvements to residence halls and a foundry that enables hands-on learning, particularly by engineering and art and design students, set to open in 2026,
A major university project is the $30 million Saxon Hill Sports Complex, a new athletics and recreation facility on Jericho Hill, a few miles from AU’s 232-acre Allegany County campus. Saxon Hill is scheduled to open next spring.
“Saxon Hill will enhance our ability to attract and retain student-athletes while providing expanded intramural and recreational opportunities for our entire campus community,” Heine said. “These accomplishments have been amplified through their integration into a university-wide strategic plan and extraordinary philanthropic investment from Alfred’s supporters.”
Heine said Alfred’s successes have come while the university has simultaneously faced significant challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, an evolving financial aid picture and significant changes in federal policy on higher education.
”Mark has proven himself to be a trusted and impactful leader of Alfred University,” said Carolyn Clark, Chair Emeritus of Alfred’s Board of Trustees. “It has been a privilege to partner with him, and I look forward to continued collaboration in furtherance of Alfred’s growth and success.”
Prior to joining Alfred, Zupan was dean and professor of economics at the University of Rochester, Simon Business School (2004-2016) and the University of Arizona’s Eller College of Management (1997-2003).
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This article originally appeared on The Evening Tribune: Mark Zupan reappointed Alfred University president. Why decision was unanimous
Reporting by Neal Simon, Hornell Evening Tribune / The Evening Tribune
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