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The Dean Team
10 REGIS TODAY
Like any administrative team, Malcolm O. Asadoorian III, PhD, and Penelope M. Glynn, RN, PhD, bring individual strengths, varied experiences and perspectives, and unique personalities to the table. Yet from the moment they began working together as the academic deans of Regis College, they clicked, and they use terms like “team” and “complementary” and “collaborative” in describing their working relationship. Dr. Asadoorian joined Regis in Summer 2012 as dean of the College of Liberal Arts, Education and Social Sciences. He was fresh off a long stint at Lynn University in Florida, where he was a professor of economics with dual appointments in the College of Liberal Education and the College of Business and Management. He was also chair of the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies and associate dean for assessment and faculty development in the Office of Academic Affairs. Prior to Lynn, he was a postdoctoral research associate professor at MIT, and also taught at Fisher College, Assumption College, and Anna Maria College. He earned PhD and MA degrees in economics from Clark University, and a bachelor’s degree from Assumption. Dr. Glynn was appointed dean of the School of Nursing, Science and Health Professions in 2013, after serving as interim dean when incumbent Antoinette Hays was named Regis College president in 2011. She joined the Regis faculty in 2004, bringing with her 24 years of experience in administrative and faculty positions at Simmons College, Lesley University, and Boston College. Prior to becoming dean, she was the coordinator of the generic master’s program, and then chair of the postlicensure graduate nursing program. A registered nurse, she holds BS and MS degrees in nursing, and a PhD in sociology from Boston University. The Dean Team sat down recently with Communications Director and Regis Today Editor Peter Kent to discuss issues, trends, and challenges in higher education, and what Regis is doing to prepare students for life and careers in the 21st century.
There is such an emphasis these days on colleges and universities preparing students for careers. One comedian recently bemoaned pursing a major in philosophy, only to discover that in this uncertain economy, the philosophy companies aren't hiring these days. So, why a liberal arts education? Dr. Glynn: I started my career with the
traditional ‘diploma’ education—a threeyear nursing program that was affiliated with a hospital—and I wouldn’t give that up for anything. But it can’t suffice in today’s world. If we become so vocation-oriented that we don’t provide that strong liberal arts background, we’re not preparing students to relate to and understand the patients they are caring for, which is critical to developing a trusting relationship. Without that liberal arts foundation, you can’t possibly adapt to the rapid changes occurring in health care, and you can’t see the big picture. That’s why our undergraduate nursing majors don’t start their nursing courses until the junior year, because they get a full two years of liberal arts and sciences before they ever even touch nursing. And that’s critical. Dr. Asadoorian: We must prepare students for their respective professions, yes, but simultaneously we must answer the call for proving that a strong liberal arts foundation is essential. When we say a liberal arts education produces lifelong learners, we mean those essential skills of critical thinking and writing, oral communication, quantitative