Leadership Change at the Weissman School

May 11, 2020

Dear Faculty and Staff,

I wish to announce that Dr. Aldemaro (“Al”) Romero Jr. will be stepping down as Dean of the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences (WSAS) on June 30, after the end of the current academic year. During his four-year tenure, Dean Romero has been responsible for dramatically increasing the diversity of the WSAS faculty, based on a strategy he developed using the best policies and practices for recruiting and retaining a diverse faculty.

Dean Romero reinvigorated a number of the Weissman School’s master’s degree programs, and last year the number of applicants for these programs increased twofold. He also has been an active and successful fundraiser. Dean Romero developed a number of marketing initiatives for his school that included, but were not limited to, social media programs as well as radio and television shows—some of which were broadcast by CUNY-TV—on the values of a liberal arts education. He also promoted innovation in the areas of scholarship, pedagogy, and service, including the development of a virtual reality lab and the creation of a Latin American Leadership Initiative.

Dr. Romero, the author of 30 books and more than 1,100 other publications, will be on sabbatical leave during AY2020-21 during which time he will develop a number of new creative initiatives. I will announce the appointment of an interim dean later in the Spring semester.

Sincerely,

James McCarthy, PhD
Interim Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs