The Opportunity

Founded in 1963 as a regional campus of the University of Pittsburgh and set in the heart of the scenic Alleghenies, the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford (Pitt-Bradford) is a four-year baccalaureate college enrolling approximately 1,300 students. Pitt-Bradford offers high-quality teaching, supported by the resources of a world-class research university, in a safe, friendly, inclusive, and student-focused academic environment that is ideal for students who want to earn a world-renowned degree in a personalized atmosphere. Working closely with the institutional leadership, departmental staff, and colleagues across campus, the successful candidate will lead the institution’s efforts through its auxiliary services to provide the very best student experience.

The Position

Role of the Associate Vice President for Business Affairs & Director of Auxiliary Services for the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford

Reporting to the vice president for business affairs and serving as an integral member of the vice president’s leadership team, the associate vice president for business affairs & director of auxiliary services (AVP) is responsible for the overall administration and executive leadership of a wide range of auxiliary operations that support and align with the University’s mission, providing strategic planning and vision for financial, operational, marketing, and facility development. The AVP champions Pitt-Bradford’s tradition as a student-centered campus by delivering excellent and comprehensive support services for the campus community, including Dining Services, Housing and Auxiliary Facilities, automatic teller machines, laundry, vending (food & beverage), card access and the ID system, Off-Campus Merchant Services, the Panther Shop (campus bookstore), Conference Services, Mail Center, and Parking and Transportation. In addition, this individual administers the Commercial Real Estate and Property Management department, directing negotiations and operations, as well as coordinating the activities and maintenance, of all leased space and rented facilities for the campus. The AVP effectively manages all aspects of the auxiliary accounting services, to include developing annual budgets, directing and coordinating the preparation, analysis, and reconciliation of revenues, expenses, and inventories of all auxiliary units, and reviewing and approving all cost/benefit analyses, cash flow analyses, and unit cost standardization reports as required for all units. The AVP develops and maintains a well-trained and motivated team of approximately nine professionals, including four direct reports, as well as an annual budget in excess of $10 million.

Pitt-Bradford students, faculty, and staff come from a wide range of geographic, socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds, representing all forms of diversity. In this role, Pitt-Bradford seeks a culturally competent candidate who will thrive in a campus environment that advances principles of social equity and inclusion and recognizes diversity as central to excellence.

History of the Position

Rhett Kennedy served as the most recent director of auxiliary services at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford for the past ten years. The position recently became vacant when Kennedy accepted the position of director of facilities management within Business Affairs. Prior to Kennedy, Dr. Bridgett Passauer led Auxiliary Services at Pitt-Bradford for seven years before taking a similar role with Tidewater Community College. With a newly-expanded portfolio, the title of the position has been updated and Spelman Johnson has been enlisted to assist in a national search process to find the new associate vice president for business affairs & director of auxiliary services.

Opportunities and Challenges of the Role

The new associate vice president for business affairs & director of auxiliary services (AVP) must possess a broad and deep understanding of national best practices, sound business practices, and innovations with regard to dining, bookstore, housing, and other critical elements of college auxiliary services, and then build the program at Pitt-Bradford to even greater heights. The AVP should be an experienced or aspiring leader who has had success building and advancing a progressive program at another institution (within a higher education auxiliary operation and/or related environment), be capable of managing multiple priorities, and be equipped to contribute at both a strategic and tactical level to a vibrant and fast-paced Division of Business Affairs.

It is essential to identify a competent and dedicated individual who can promote and develop the Auxiliary Services staff/team, set departmental priorities, systematically collaborate and partner with the University and the local community, and work proactively in tandem with the Auxiliary Services staff, campus colleagues, and institutional leadership to progressively, innovatively, and comprehensively move the program forward. The following were identified as possible opportunities, priorities, and challenges that will face the new associate vice president for business affairs & director of auxiliary services:

  • The new AVP must commit to a comprehensive culture of collaboration and partnering across campus to achieve maximum effectiveness. Pitt-Bradford is a very tight-knit community that is committed to building relationships as a foundation of the campus culture, so strong collaboration is an absolute necessity in all endeavors to ensure success. Auxiliary Services touches a vast number of individuals, departments, and other entities across the campus, so it will be crucial that the new AVP quickly reach out to build strong relationships and partnerships that foster ongoing positive interactions and promote a “connector” mindset in all instances. Since Auxiliary Services touches so many parts of Pitt-Bradford, these connections are essential in order to assess real needs, design specific programs and services to meet these needs, and provide superior customer service at all times.
  • The expectations for the new AVP are high, and the successful candidate will need to quickly become familiar with all areas of their portfolio in order to develop a comprehensive list of priorities. With a large and expansive campus footprint that goes beyond the boundaries of the University, Auxiliary Services has an extremely wide scope of responsibility for delivering a high level of satisfaction and providing various essential needs of students, staff, faculty, administrators, visitors, and the community. Areas of responsibility specifically include Dining Services, Housing and Auxiliary Facilities, automatic teller machines, laundry, vending (food & beverage), card access and the ID system, Off-Campus Merchant Services, the Panther Shop (campus bookstore), Conference Services, Mail Center, and Parking and Transportation. The new AVP will need to prioritize a great deal of time upon arrival on learning the nuances and priorities of the campus, discovering the internal needs of the staff and the departments within Auxiliary Services, attending campus events, and beginning the process of reaching out and establishing themselves as the visible “face” and leader of Auxiliary Services. Emphasis on relationship building, community engagement, student needs, and overall customer service should be expected.
  • Because there is an extensive network of individuals with whom the AVP will be working closely, it will be imperative that the new AVP have excellent communication skills that can foster transparency, promote trust, and reach all levels of staff. The AVP will be responsible for interacting with a number of staff at all levels of the organization and the University, ranging from front line customer service staff to departmental leadership to executive administration. It is important that this individual be available and open for anyone within Auxiliary Services or beyond to bring issues and concerns, maintaining confidentiality at all times, and that these issues will be addressed in a timely manner. With the large depth and breadth of the organization, open dialogue and clear messages from the AVP will foster a strong sense of team unity.
  • Similarly, Auxiliary Services is a mix of contracted entities and in-house Pitt-Bradford programs and services, all of which work together toward a high-end student experience. It will be the responsibility of the new AVP to be an advocate and support system for all departments under their purview, and to pull both contracted and Pitt-Bradford staff together as a strong and cohesive team, providing professional development and career enhancement to all. Ensuring a collective vision, developing a strategic plan, and integrating contracted staff and Pitt-Bradford employees together will create a positive, proactive, customer-oriented, and highly responsive environment for the students and other stakeholders at the institution.
  • With tremendous excitement surrounding the hiring of a new AVP, there is great opportunity for an experienced professional to put their own mark on Pitt-Bradford’s Auxiliary Services heading into the future. The department is very excited about the fresh opportunities and vision that a new AVP brings to the table, especially given the circumstances around the COVID pandemic and what the department will look like as the University environment returns to a semblance of “normal.” This is an outstanding occasion for the successful candidate to make a lasting, significant impact on Auxiliary Services and build it to a higher level based on their experience and national best practices. There is tremendous support and high expectations from the administration for the AVP and the services that emanate from this office. The opportunity exists to further build on an already strong and successful program. Building and sustaining a vision for auxiliaries in the post-COVID reality will be a high priority for the new AVP.
  • There are several unique facility- and business-related opportunities that await the new AVP in this role. Marilyn Horne Hall, a local commercial property which is owned by the University and managed by Auxiliary Services, is currently home to approximately a dozen tenants with flexible space to host other innovative initiatives over time (such as additional student housing, which is now needed as the campus grows). Other opportunities include the building of a new turf soccer/lacrosse field and an ice rink that can serve as a multipurpose facility during the summer (a cost estimate and site have already been acquired, and this large space would function as an auxiliary when not used for hockey). There is also a desire to bring new off-campus vendors into the food service retail operations, as well as a high demand to build more academic camps within the conference services program. The auxiliary contracts are at various stages—the bookstore contract with Follett is relatively new, while others will be up for renewal within the next two-three years—so an assessment of all contracts and current agreements will be expected in order to determine priorities and strategies. Community-oriented education has virtually disappeared during the pandemic, and determining the future of this endeavor will be crucial. In all these endeavors, the new AVP should bring strong and sound business and financial acumen to the role across the portfolio, but should also bring an innovative and adaptive mindset in relation to auxiliary services, programs, and facilities that can provide diverse revenue streams and contribute to an outstanding student experience at Pitt-Bradford.
  • As Auxiliary Services has front-line contact with the student body, it will be important for the  AVP to be seen as the positive “face” of the department and for this individual to spend a great deal of time out of the office and on campus where the students live, meet, and eat. Being present with the students and taking stock of their needs and desires will build strong public relations with this primary audience and foster support for upcoming new initiatives, projects, and services. Additionally, maintaining a visible presence will give students the platform for comfortably voicing their concerns, complaints, successes, and aspirations.
  • Pitt-Bradford is centrally located between Toronto, Canada, and Pittsburgh, PA (three hours from each), in a relatively rural setting not far from the New York border. The campus and the community are open and welcoming, and the surrounding countryside is rife with farms and country homes. Stakeholders exerted that the community feels safe, comfortable, supportive and friendly, and there are ample opportunities to interact and connect with the Pitt-Bradford students. While Erie, PA, and Buffalo, NY, are both roughly 90 minutes away, candidates should realize that Pitt-Bradford is located in a small town, where outdoor activities abound, including skiing, hiking, fishing, camping, and biking. The school system is strong, according to campus stakeholders, and there is a very “neighborly” and close-knit environment throughout the community, but candidates should understand the nature of an institution in such a locale and understand its implications.
  • As part of the University of Pittsburgh system, Pitt-Bradford connects closely with the Oakland (main) campus, as well as the Johnstown and Greensburg regional campuses, and has access to the resources of the University system. Pitt-Bradford also provides oversight to the Titusville Education and Training Hub, which is located approximately 144 miles west of Bradford.

Measures of Success

At an appropriate interval after joining Pitt-Bradford, the items listed below will initially define success for the new associate vice president for business affairs & director of auxiliary services:

  • Student satisfaction with the programs and services offered by Auxiliary Services (food service, housing, conference services, bus transportation, laundry, bookstore, etc.) are rising, based on metrics and qualitative surveys conducted by the AVP and the staff.
  • The Auxiliary Services staff is working together cohesively as a team (both Pitt-Bradford and contracted staff), staff satisfaction is high, the AVP is consistently available and willing to listen to staff, and professional development opportunities are plentiful.
  • Strong collaborative relationships have been established across campus and into the community, especially with students, faculty, staff, academic and administrative departments, the upper administration, and any local partners.
  • Development of a forward-facing strategic plan is underway with input from multiple stakeholders, the status of all contracts has been assessed and a schedule for current or future negotiations has been determined, strong partnerships have been established with contracted services, and innovative and trending best practices are being initiated throughout Auxiliary Services.
  • The AVP is recognized as the “face” of Auxiliary Services by the campus community—particularly the students—and is present, involved, and visible on campus, as well as acknowledged as a strong listener who is proactively responsive to any issues that arise.
  • Sound fiscal and business practices are in place and plans for additional revenue generation are being formulated,
  • Communication from all areas of Auxiliary Services is timely, frequent, and transparent.
  • A new “norm” has been established post-COVID, new policies and procedures for a safe post-pandemic environment are established, and students are satisfied with the “new” auxiliary environment.

Qualifications and Characteristics

The successful candidate will possess a master’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university, with demonstrated leadership in one or more auxiliary service units or within the hospitality industry, coupled with significant supervisory experience in a higher education environment and/or hospitality setting. It is essential that the successful candidate demonstrate experience with budget development and implementation, fiscal oversight, processing of financial statements, cost benefit analysis, evaluation of statistical data, and resource allocation; possess strong administrative, strategic planning, and organizational abilities; and exhibit excellent written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills. Proficiency in personnel management, including supervision of staff and employee development; the ability to write proposals, reports, and make presentations; and the capacity to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced team environment are expected. Demonstrated ability and interest in working in a multicultural, multiethnic environment are required.

In addition to the minimum academic and experiential requirements indicated above, other desired characteristics, skills, actions, and/or abilities noted from the stakeholder discussions include the following:

  • previous experience in a university, not-for-profit, or closely related hospitality environment is highly desirable, as is experience with one or more contracted auxiliary function;
  • a strategic and data-informed decision-maker who is also able to think fast on their feet, set high expectations, delegate as needed, and implement change as necessary;
  • ability to multitask at all times, while also being extremely organized and detail-oriented;
  • demonstrated strong and effective negotiation skills;
  • strong managerial skills, with the ability to develop leadership skills in others and promote a team environment at all levels of the department;
  • an innovator with a futuristic and entrepreneurial orientation, a visionary, and someone willing to try new opportunities and remain informed on new trends and best practices;
  • a demonstrated commitment to the principles of diversity, inclusion, equity, and social justice for all;
  • highly student-centered and knowledgeable of current college student needs and trends, understanding that serving the students at Pitt-Bradford is the number one priority of Auxiliary Services;
  • business, accounting, and finance skills, and the capability of effectively managing a multimillion dollar operation and generating revenue to support the department and University;
  • the ability to make complex decisions when necessary, to conduct difficult conversations when pertinent, to listen to all sides of an issue, to adapt to significant changes on the spur of the moment without being reactive, and to remain “cool under pressure” no matter the situation;
  • a proactive leader, a forward thinker, and a self-starter who can read the culture, determine where there is a need, develop a solution, and then present it back as a proposal to administration;
  • a willingness to go above and beyond to provide outstanding customer service and recognizing that each customer is a top priority;
  • previous experience in retail development and/or management and previous experience with athletic facilities are highly desirable;
  • strong relationship-building skills with both internal and external stakeholders, including students, faculty, staff, vendors, and the community;
  • a connector who can pull the right people to the table and ensure that the contracted auxiliary entities on campus are connected integrally to the institution;
  • an excellent, approachable communicator and listener with the ability to reach all levels of the University, especially in advocating for the needs of the responsibility areas of Auxiliary Services;
  • project high levels of energy, enthusiasm, and charisma, along with the ability to engage individuals across the institution;
  • ability to serve in a meeting with upper level administrators, to speak professionally, and to conduct appropriately sophisticated presentations at the executive level;
  • flexibility in working schedules, with the realization that the needs of the institution are often not limited to the traditional nine to five, Monday through Friday weekly work schedule;
  • strong marketing skills, with the ability to tell the story of Auxiliary Services to both internal and external stakeholders;
  • a positive attitude at all times, even in the face of adversity;
  • strong ethical principles, maintaining integrity at all times;
  • politically savvy and tactful;
  • ability to have fun at work while still accomplishing the responsibilities of the job.

Overview of the Business Affairs & Auxiliary Services Department

The Business Affairs Office oversees much of the behind-the-scenes activities, which help to keep the Pitt-Bradford campus running efficiently and provide an outstanding experience for the students, faculty, staff, and surrounding community. Auxiliary Services reports directly to the vice president for business affairs, and works in collaboration with other departments within Business Affairs toward that experience at all times.

Leadership of the Division

Richard Esch, Vice President for Business Affairs

Richard “Rick” Esch is the Vice President for Business Affairs overseeing Auxiliary Services, Facilities, Real Estate, Computing and Media Services, Human Resources, Risk Management, Legal Services, Purchasing, Accounts Payable, Accounting and Financial Reporting, and is the Managing Director of the Bradford Educational Foundation.

Rick joined the University as the Director of Auxiliary Services before being promoted to the Chief Business and Administrative Affairs Officer in 1999. He was then promoted to Vice President for Business Affairs, a position he has held since 2003.

Before joining the University, Rick spent nineteen years in the food and beverage industry as a chef, club manager, and general manager of college dining, working for several of the major college dining companies.

Rick is an alumnus of the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science, and an alumnus of the University of Pittsburgh Katz School of Business Executive MBA program.

Institution & Location

Institutional Overview

Pitt-Bradford was established in 1963, in effect because there were no colleges or universities in the northcentral region of Pennsylvania. In the early years, most of its students came from the local area, but since then, the campus has grown significantly.

Pitt-Bradford’s students come from nearly every county in Pennsylvania, more than 20 states—as far away as Alaska and California—and many countries, including China, India, Nepal, Philippines, Nigeria, Russian Federation, Bangladesh, Dominican Republic, and Pakistan.

The 470-acre campus has developed into a vibrant learning community where students are challenged to discover more than they imagined; nurtured to help them develop into happy, healthy people; and encouraged to go beyond their comfort zones and achieve more than they thought possible.

Pitt-Bradford is a regional campus of the University of Pittsburgh. It is a four-year undergraduate institution in a friendly, welcoming campus community with strong ties to the Bradford region.  Over its 56-year history, Pitt-Bradford has grown from one building, 288 students, and two majors, to a campus with 35 buildings, over 1,300 students, and more than 40 academic majors. Additionally, Pitt-Bradford provides administrative oversight of the Titusville Campus, which is located approximately 144 miles west of Bradford.

Pitt-Bradford has a history and culture of facilities master planning that led to the development of the beautiful park-like campus. Pitt-Bradford enjoys outstanding facilities. The campus is situated on roughly 320 acres, which includes a 130-acre forest reserve.

It is a very exciting period in Pitt-Bradford’s history, with the recent appointment of Dr. Catherine Koverola as campus president and plans to move forward with the design and construction of a new 40,000 square-foot, $24 million engineering technology building. Additional residence halls, a stadium project, an athletic fieldhouse, and a future academic administration building are in various phases of planning and development. The Titusville Campus location has several major building renovation projects totaling $17.5 million slated to occur over the next several years.

In the fall of 2020, Pitt-Bradford recruited a strong and diverse freshman class despite the challenges presented by COVID-19. The class totaled 373 new first-year students, of which 36 percent were underrepresented populations – 24.0 percent Black students, 4.0 percent Hispanic students, 7.3 percent Asian students, and .8 percent Native American students.

The fall 2020 headcount enrollment is 1,321 students. Seventy-one percent are from 60 counties in Pennsylvania, 15 percent are from 31 counties in New York, and 12 percent are from 29 other states and six countries; 74 percent lived on campus in 2019 (59% in 2020 due to instructional options created due to COVID-19). Though the Bradford region is not especially diverse, 20.0 percent of Pitt-Bradford students are Black/African American, 3.8 percent are Hispanic, and 4.7 percent are Asian. Pitt-Bradford’s faculty and staff provide a personalized and inclusive environment for the students. Its 76 full-time and 22 part-time faculty create a 15:1 student-to-faculty ratio. Sixty-nine percent of its classes have fewer than 20 students; 91 percent have fewer than 30.

Pitt-Bradford consistently has been recognized nationally for the quality of its education, as well as for the financial support it provides its students. The Princeton Review has named Pitt-Bradford one of the “Best Colleges in the Northeast” for 16 consecutive years. G.I. Jobs has named Pitt-Bradford a “Military Friendly School” for the past ten years and most recently a “Military Friendly Spouse School.” The RN Careers website ranked Pitt-Bradford’s associate of science in nursing program fifth in the state, and Washington Monthly magazine has named Pitt-Bradford a top college for earning a bachelor’s degree and a “best bang for the buck” university. The Council for Aid to Education ranked Pitt-Bradford fourth on a list of colleges that devote the highest percentage of dollars to financial aid, and in 2016, President Obama recognized Pitt-Bradford as one of 13 institutions excelling in enrolling and graduating Pell-eligible students.

Bradford, PA

Settled in the 1840s and incorporated in 1879, Bradford was one of the boomtowns of the western Pennsylvania oil rush of the late 19th century. The city’s population is currently about 8,600; the greater Bradford area has a census of about 18,000. With an approximately five percent minority population, the city is less diverse than other regions in the state.

Described as “a cool town with a warm heart,” Bradford recently completed a $3 million revitalization effort and secured several million dollars more for streetscape improvements to the historic downtown. It also has been successful in recruiting new industries and services to the community and is interested in continuing to partner with Pitt-Bradford in innovative campus-community development projects. In 2017, Pitt-Bradford opened its Marilyn Horne Museum and Exhibit Center on the Bradford Town Square, providing exciting new academic programming, and event space, as well as the new home of the Bradford Creative and Performing Arts Center. Horne, a world-renowned opera singer and a native of Bradford, has supported a variety of programs that benefit both the community of Bradford and Pitt-Bradford students.

Major employers in the Bradford region include the American Refining Group, Zippo Manufacturing Company, Case Cutlery, and the Bradford Regional Medical Center. A multitude of outdoor recreational opportunities surrounds the campus, including the 42-mile Tuna Valley Trail system—part of which runs through campus—boating and kayaking, camping, skiing, and snowmobile and ATV trails. Pitt-Bradford is located within the Pennsylvania Wilds and moments away from the 517,000-acre Allegheny National Forest, which is the largest national forest east of the Mississippi River, and the 65,000-acre Allegany State Park, which is the largest state park in New York. The campus is less than a one-hour drive to Lake Chautauqua and an hour and a half to both Erie, PA and Buffalo, NY. Bradford enjoys a low cost of living, a comprehensive high school, and access to quality health care.

Mission Statement

Founded in 1963 as a regional campus of the University of Pittsburgh and set in the heart of the scenic Alleghenies, Pitt-Bradford provides affordable access to a distinguished four-year higher education. Pitt-Bradford offers high-quality teaching supported by the resources of a world-class research university in a friendly, inclusive and student-focused academic environment. In service to our region and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Pitt-Bradford connects communities to new ideas, innovative research, and exciting arts and cultural programming, partnering with key stakeholders to build opportunities for continued regional development and growth.

Strategic Plan

In September 2020, the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford launched the planning process for its next strategic plan, which will be a comprehensive and collaborative project that involves campus community members as well as neighbors in the region and beyond.

The upcoming strategic plan for Pitt-Bradford will build upon the successes of our previous plans and help us chart our course for the future, to help us reach new heights on our campus, in our local community, and in our region and beyond.

This planning process will be comprehensive and collaborative, involving not only our campus community members but our neighbors in the region and beyond.

Goals:

Academic and Global Careers – We aspire to prepare students to live and work in a globally interconnected world.

Whole-Person Learning – We aspire to be a university that fosters holistic student growth through equitable opportunities that address students’ intellectual, physical, emotional, spiritual and social well-being.

Inclusion, Equity, Justice and Access – We aspire to be a University community that embodies access, inclusion, equity and justice.

Community Impact and Beyond – We aspire to be a university that respectfully, inclusively and collaboratively engages with our communities to strengthen our region, nation, and the world.

Building Foundational Strength – We aspire to be a university that supports success through a healthy foundation of strong creative entrepreneurial culture, a robust capacity to partner, and an outstanding infrastructure that complements our natural environment and effective operations.

To read more about the Plan for Pitt-Bradford: https://www.upb.pitt.edu/about-us/office-president/plan-pitt-bradford

Leadership

Dr. Catherine Koverola, President

Dr. Koverola, Pitt-Bradford’s fourth president, has brought with her a wealth of experience from colleges and universities all over the world. Over her 30-year career she has served as educator, scholar, clinician, and advocate on four continents. She joined Pitt-Bradford in 2019.

Prior to joining Pitt-Bradford, Dr. Koverola served as the inaugural provost at the African Leadership University in Mauritius where she worked to establish a university system designed to deliver academic programs on a mass scale across the African continent. She has also served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Cambridge College, dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Social Sciences at Lesley University, and dean of psychology and interim vice president of academic affairs at Antioch University Seattle.

Additionally, Dr. Koverola has held several administrative posts—including director of Ph.D. and M.A. psychology programs, director of the Alaska Rural Health Training Academy, and chair of the Department of Psychology—at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. An inter-culturally minded program innovator, she led the development of a doctoral program in clinical, community, and cross-cultural psychology, and graduate programs in drama therapy, eco-psychology, mindfulness studies, and trauma-focused interdisciplinary studies that integrate the expressive arts.

Dr. Koverola is an internationally recognized scholar in the area of interpersonal victimization in cross-cultural contexts. She has developed culturally relevant programs that serve victims of violence in locations as varied as urban medical centers to remote indigenous communities in Canada and Alaska. Globally, she has provided clinical consultation to a wide range of practitioners including those serving Syrian refugee populations in Jordan; victims of the armed conflict in Colombia; and vulnerable children in the Caribbean, east Africa, as well as Norway and Finland.

Having specialized in serving traumatized youth, specifically inner-city African American and Latino youth as well as rural Canadian First Nations and Alaska native youth, Dr. Koverola is equipped to address the pressing issues college students face today. Her work has been funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration, and many private foundations.

Creatively supporting faculty development through many initiatives, she established Centers of Excellence in Teaching and Learning at two universities. The American Council of Education Women’s Network of Massachusetts recognized Dr. Koverola’s dedication to faculty development and mentorship of women by awarding her the 2014 Leadership Award.

“It is truly an honor to serve as president at the Bradford campus and ensure that Pitt-Bradford keeps developing as a distinctive leading academic institution serving the students and communities of the region,” said Dr. Koverola. “I look forward to weaving together the strengths of this vibrant regional campus with the tremendous capacity within the University of Pittsburgh as a large research-intensive institution.”

Academic Programs and Faculty

Students can choose from more than 40 majors, minors, concentrations and pre-professional programs that prepare them for a career or graduate school. They have countless opportunities to learn more by working in labs, local creeks and forests, and at major for-profit corporations and nonprofit organizations. They also can conduct research in any major, work on an internship, or study abroad.

Number of Majors Leading to Baccalaureate Degree

  • 38 (B.A., B.S., B.S.N)
  • 20 Pre-professional programs

Number of Majors Leading to Associate Degree

  • 5 (A.S., A.A)

Number of Graduate Programs

  • 4 (Master of Science in Nursing and a Master of Social Work, is offered on campus by the graduate school at Pitt-Oakland. Master of Education and a Master of Science for Clinical Nurse Leader, both offered online from Pitt-Oakland.)

Full-time faculty: 76

Part-time faculty: 22

Student/Teacher Ratio – 15:1

Typical Class Size – 19 students

The Student Body

Student Enrollment – 1,321

  • 42% male students
  • 58% female students

74% of the students lived in college-owned, -operated or -affiliated housing in 2019 (59% in 2020 due to COVID-19 and instructional mode options).

Benefits Overview

The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford offers the following comprehensive and competitive benefits to employees: 

  • Medical
  • Dental
  • Vision
  • Education
  • Health & Wellness
  • Faculty/Staff Assistance Program
  • A Generous Retirement Savings Plan
  • Time Off

For more information, please visit the Pitt-Bradford Benefits site: https://www.hr.pitt.edu/current-employees/benefits

Application & Nomination

Application and Nomination

Review of applications will begin immediately, and continue until the position is filled. To apply for this position please click on the Apply button, complete the brief application process, and upload your resume and position-specific cover letter. Nominations for this position may be emailed to J. Scott Derrick at jsd@spelmanjohnson.com. Applicants needing reasonable accommodation to participate in the application process should contact Spelman Johnson at 413-529-2895.

Visit the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford website at https://www.upb.pitt.edu/

The University of Pittsburgh is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and values equality of opportunity, human dignity, and diversity. EEO/AA/M/F/Vets/Disabled.

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