After an internal search that began in early February, President R.J. Nemer is pleased to announce that Dr. Gwyneth "Gwen" Price has been named the University of Akron's (UA) new senior vice president and provost effective April 21.
"Gwen has been a tremendous colleague during her time at UA," said Nemer. "I am very pleased that she has accepted this critical role as our chief academic officer and I, along with many others, look forward to working with her to lead The University of Akron forward."
Reporting to the president, Price's responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:
- Leading strategic academic planning with the colleges, departments and schools;
- Actively participating in shared governance with the Faculty Senate, University Council and the Council of Deans;
- Engaging with advisory councils, corporations, local and national foundations, donors and community organizations to expand and enhance academic offerings and units;
- Collaborating with other institutions of higher education;
- Promoting student success and fostering the creation of innovative programs and services;
- Ensuring the curriculum is of high quality and relevant to today's students and employers;
- Providing oversight of accreditation responsibilities for the University, colleges and academic units;
- Assessing student learning outcomes together with the assessment director;
- Advancing the University's online offerings;
- Enhancing the University's academic centers, institutes and special programs;
- Maintaining a strong commitment to the Williams Honors College;
- Facilitating the selection and appointment of faculty and recommending reappointment, promotion and tenure of faculty;
- Ensuring academic units are resourced appropriately to carry out the academic mission;
- Advancing initiatives to increase student enrollment and retention in line with goals set by the president and the Board of Trustees; and
- In addition to the colleges, supervising the University Libraries, Research Administration, Information Technology, Student Affairs, Student Pathways and the Office of Community Engagement, Opportunity & Belonging.
"It is my sincere honor to serve as the next provost of The University of Akron," said Price. "UA is an institution that truly embodies its mission to transform students' lives and make a significant impact on the community it serves. This will always be front of mind as I endeavor to facilitate the work of a tremendous faculty, find new opportunities for growth, support innovative programming and strive to be but a small part of UA's future success."
Price joined UA in December 2022 as the senior vice provost for academic and faculty affairs in the Office of Academic Affairs (OAA) serving as the liaison between faculty and OAA, providing oversight for a wide range of strategic initiatives including accreditation and academic policies, as well as faculty hiring, development and support. She worked in collaboration with the deans and department chairs, Faculty Senate and University Council, among others, to foster shared governance and support the success of students, faculty and academic programs. Price also coordinated interdisciplinary and experiential learning initiatives and activities, and facilitated the development of high-quality online academic, credential-based and continuing education programs to increase enrollment and generate revenue, among other responsibilities.
Prior to her arrival at UA, Price spent 15 years in higher education in Pennsylvania, beginning her career as a faculty member in the Middle & Secondary Education Department at Edinboro University, within the PA State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) where she earned tenure and promotion and worked extensively in the area of accreditation. She then transitioned to administration at Clarion University where she was integral to the re-establishment of the School of Education of which she became dean. Just prior to joining UA, she held the position of dean of the College of Education and associate provost for students & graduate studies for PennWest University, the institution formed by the integration of three PASSHE universities.
Price earned a bachelor of arts in Chemistry from Bucknell University, and both a master of arts and doctor of philosophy in Educational Psychology from The Pennsylvania State University. Prior to her time in higher education, she taught high school chemistry and physics for 15 years.
Price will remain as the interim dean of the Graduate School until a replacement is named.
Media contact: Cristine Boyd; cboyd@uakron.edu; 330-972-6476