Southern Connecticut State University’s new interim president says he is getting to know the university community and looking for its thoughts, concerns and ideas.
Dwayne Smith, who served as CEO of Housatonic Community College in Bridgeport since 2020, started his new role at SCSU on June 1.
Smith is filling the role of longtime SCSU President Joe Bertolino, who announced in March he was leaving to be president of Stockton University in New Jersey.
“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to advance the university’s mission, interact with our students, faculty, and staff and build on the significant work of President Joe Bertolino during his seven-year tenure,” Smith said, in a letter to the SCSU community.
Terrence Cheng, president of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) system, said of Smith, “I am fully confident that Dr. Smith’s immense higher education skills, scholarship and experience, as well as his infectious enthusiasm will serve Southern well.”
Smith told the SCSU community he plans to spend time getting to know its people in the upcoming weeks. He invited them to share questions, concerns and ideas with him via a special university website page called “Dr. D. Wants to Know.”
According to Smith, he emphasized “building positive, productive community connections,” during his tenure at Housatonic, and sees “the same potential in New Haven,” to create new partnerships and build on existing ones.
In the coming months, Smith said he will be focused on keeping Southern moving in the right direction in spite of budget constraints.
In the fall, he will outline a tentative five-year strategic plan at a series of Town Hall style meetings, with a plan to implement a finalized plan starting in January 2024.
“I look forward to our work together to shape Southern’s future and advance our shared goal of student success,” Smith said, in his letter.
Smith has a long background in academia. He previously served as provost and later as interim president for Harris-Stowe State University in St. Louis, Mo.
When Smith was picked to be interim president at SCSU, Cheng noted Smith had helped secure millions of dollars in grant funding during his career. Since 2008, Smith has secured more than $16 million in external funding, according to his biography.
The grandson of Mississippi sharecroppers, Smith has garnered many awards, including being recognized as one of the Connecticut NAACP’s 100 Most Influential Blacks in Connecticut in 2021.
Smith, who has lectured around the world on educational topics, also has been credited with increasing enrollment and retention during his tenure.
The timeline for selecting a permanent replacement for Bertolino hasn’t been determined yet, according to CSCU spokesman Leigh Appleby.