MATT VOLZ
Editor in Chief
After a search that examined candidates from several different backgrounds, SUNY Fredonia has its new provost.
In a press release sent to The Leader on Wednesday, March 18, the Department of Marketing and Communications announced the hiring of Dr. Julie Gorlewski.
Gorlewski currently serves as the Klara and Larry Silverstein Dean of the School of Education at Hunter College in New York City.
Hunter is a public university with a student population much larger than that of Fredonia.
According to figures from U.S. News’ national college and university rankings, Hunter has an undergraduate population of roughly 17,000 students.
It’s also Vin Diesel’s alma mater.
At Hunter, Gorlewski is responsible for overseeing the education department, and her career has revolved around education in New York State.
She received her bachelor’s degree in secondary English education at Buffalo State.
She earned her master’s degree in elementary education from the University at Buffalo (UB), where she later received her doctorate in social foundations of education.
“I am honored to be joining the Fredonia community and grateful for the opportunity to serve as provost,” Gorlewski said in the press release. “I look forward to working with President Kolison, faculty, staff and students to build on the university’s strong tradition of academic excellence and meaningful impact. Education has the power to transform lives, and together we will continue to fulfill that promise for our students and the communities they serve.”
She’s had multiple stops throughout her higher education career, with most of them being in the SUNY system.
According to her bio on Hunter’s website, Gorlewski served as a professor in secondary education at SUNY New Paltz.
She then worked at Virginia Commonwealth University, serving as chair for the Department of Teaching and Learning.
Returning to UB, she served as the senior associate dean for teacher education and academic affairs in the university’s Graduate School of Education, and she taught classes in the Department of Learning and Instruction.
Outside of her faculty work, Gorlewski has published several books on education policy and teaching practices.
From 2013 to 2018, she served as the editor for English Journal, an award-winning journal published by the National Council of Teachers of English.
Gorlewski and her husband, David, worked together to publish 32 total issues of the journal during that time.
“Dr. Gorlewski brings an exceptional record of academic leadership and a deep commitment to the transformative power of education,” President Kolison said in the press release. “Her career has been defined by strengthening academic programs, supporting faculty excellence and preparing students to meet the challenges of a changing world. I am confident she will help lead Fredonia’s academic enterprise with the vision, collaboration and integrity needed to advance our mission.”
Gorlewski will begin her official tenure as provost in July, and she comes to Fredonia at a pivotal time for the university.
Due to low enrollment and rising costs, several academic programs will soon be on the chopping block.
It’s unclear at this point which programs will be cut or how many will be cut, but Interim Provost Dr. Judith Horowitz and Vice President for Finance and Administration Wayne Lynch have both said they’re looking at everything to evaluate program health.
This comes two years after Kolison announced the deactivation of 13 undergraduate programs in December 2023.
The cuts are expected to be announced at some point this semester, so those decisions will likely be made before Gorlewski takes office.
“As Fredonia continues to build a strong and sustainable future, we need an academic leader who can inspire trust, foster collaboration and guide innovation across our programs,” Kolison said in the press release. “Dr. Gorlewski’s experience and commitment to student learning make her exceptionally well suited to help lead the university into its next chapter.”
More information about administrative proceedings and program cuts can be found at fredonialeader.org.