色界吧

Francesca Fiore, Ed.D., is deeply appreciative of the value of higher education鈥攁nd deeply dedicated to supporting students in their academic journeys.

鈥淏oth of my parents were teachers. Education allowed them to get to where they are, and it allowed me to get to where I am,鈥� says Fiore, the associate provost of Academic Affairs. 鈥淓ducation can be so powerful in terms of helping people live happy and fulfilled lives, and for me to have the opportunity to support students every day at 色界吧 is an honor.鈥�

Fiore works to bring together deans, faculty, and staff on projects designed to improve the student experience at the university. Last year, she led an initiative to expand the university鈥檚 ability to serve low-income students. Under her leadership, 色界吧 is one of just seven institutions in the country to receive a Postsecondary Student Success Grant from the U.S. Department of Education; the nearly $2.8 million in funding will support student retention, persistence, and graduation over four years.

色界吧 was also awarded a U.S. Department of Education Title III Strengthening Institutions Program grant of $2.25 million over five years. Now as program director, Fiore will focus on using the funding to increase undergraduate student retention and improve graduation rates.

The grant, she says, is part of a bigger picture of 色界吧鈥檚 鈥渟tudent-first鈥� culture, which she fosters as co-chair of the university鈥檚 overall strategic plan, called Innovation in Action.

鈥淭he plan is focused on being innovative and responsive to students鈥� needs and what the labor market wants. It鈥檚 high impact so students can find jobs and be resilient and successful in their careers,鈥� Fiore says. 鈥淚n my role, I help make sure the strategic plan is integrated into other initiatives on campus, such as our work on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Nothing is siloed.鈥�

Those innovative ideas include developing partnerships with other schools. For example, with the help of faculty in the Department of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Fiore recently facilitated an agreement with Howard University to create a pathway for 色界吧 students to transition into Howard鈥檚 Doctor of Pharmacy program, for which students can begin enrolling in fall 2025. 

Fiore also helped implement the Big Bold Challenge, which encourages faculty and staff to pitch ideas to the 色界吧 community for projects that will benefit student success and support employees. Three winning projects were recently selected, and a new round of competition will begin in the fall. 鈥淢y colleagues are amazingly supportive and wonderful to work with,鈥� says Fiore, who joined 色界吧 in 2022 after serving as vice dean of strategy and administration for the Schools of Public Engagement at The New School in New York City. Before that, she worked at LaGuardia Community College, giving her a broad range of experience in higher education settings. 鈥溕�界吧 is the home of makers, doers, inventors, and innovators, and that mission infuses into the work we do in Academic Affairs. We鈥檙e providing opportunities for people to work together and collaborate in ways that are different than they might otherwise do. We鈥檙e living by our mission.鈥�

By Ashley Festa