To the Campus Community:

I write to share the news that Interim Provost Suzanne McCotter will be leaving TCNJ at the end of June to become Dean of Graduate Programs at Bank Street College of Education in Manhattan.

Over the last year as Interim Provost, Suzanne has provided incredibly thoughtful and capable leadership, helping us stabilize our budget while preserving the quality of our academic programs. She has led with grace, patience, and a willingness to collaborate across all areas of our campus.

Suzanne joined our community in 2017 as dean of the School of Education. Among her numerous accomplishments, she leveraged support from the state’s Pandemic Relief Fund to help found the NJ Tutoring Corps, which continues to provide high-impact tutoring services throughout the state. She also worked with dedicated faculty members to start the ROSCOE Educators program to support first generation students in education.

In 2023, she became the dean of graduate programs. In that role, she pulled disparate graduate-focused staff from across campus to form a cohesive team dedicated to serving current and prospective students. Working with deans and faculty across campus, she also encouraged the creation of new graduate programs. These efforts laid a strong foundation for what has become our new and successful School of Graduate, Global, and Online Education.

Throughout her tenure, Suzanne has been an advocate for teachers and teacher professional development, testifying in Trenton and serving as a resource for numerous media stories on a variety of education-related topics. She began her career as a middle school teacher and has dedicated her career to thinking about what is best for children, teachers, and schools. Bank Street’s focus on progressive education and racial equity will bring her back to her roots.

I know that Suzanne cherishes the relationships she has cultivated across our campus community and is proud of all the work that has been accomplished. Later this semester, we will have an opportunity to thank Suzanne and wish her well on the next chapter in her career. Details will be communicated in due course. In the meantime, as I reported last week at the joint meeting of the faculty and staff senates, our search for a new provost is progressing. I have every confidence that we will have an outstanding successor to Suzanne in place by July 1.

Please join me in congratulating Suzanne on her new position and thanking her for her service to our college.

Warmly,

Michael A. Bernstein