The Opportunity

Founded in 1881, the University of Connecticut (UConn) is the state’s flagship institution of higher education and serves a total enrollment of approximately 32,700 students on the main campus in Storrs and its campuses across the state in Farmington (UConn Health Center), Hartford (Law and Downtown Campuses), Stamford, Avery Point, and Waterbury. Designated as a research university/very high research activity by the Carnegie Foundation, UConn is ranked 23rd by U.S. News & World Report among national public universities in the United States. Connecticut’s commitment to higher education helps UConn attract students who thrive in the most competitive environments, as well as globally renowned faculty members. Through its $1.6B Next Generation Connecticut investment, the State of Connecticut greatly expanded educational opportunities, research, and innovation in the science, technology, engineering, and math disciplines at the university. As a vibrant, progressive leader, UConn fosters a diverse and dynamic culture that meets the challenges of a changing global society and provides a stimulating and rewarding environment in which to learn, work, and contribute.

The Position

Role of the Chief of Police for the University of Connecticut

Reporting to the associate vice president for public safety, the chief of police (chief) leads a large multi-location police department that provides comprehensive law enforcement services to the university’s campuses throughout Connecticut. The chief leads State of Connecticut certified police officers within a CALEA accredited department and is responsible for providing leadership in promoting values-driven policing that combines progressive public service with successful strategies, collaboration among university community members and departments, and reflects an understanding of how both large and small university communities interact within their respective campuses and among each other. Additionally, the chief must have an ability to evaluate and address issues from a state-wide perspective and understand the department’s role in multiagency endeavors. The chief serves as the chief law enforcement officer and is responsible for protecting life and property, preserving peace, maintaining order, and directing the enforcement of all federal, state and local laws within the jurisdiction of the university; develops strategic goals and objectives for the police department to include positioning the department as a responsive police department that is recognized broadly as committed to the safety and care of the university community; provides direction and guidance in alignment with department and university mission and values serving as the framework by which all security activities, patrol operations, investigations and event management are planned, organized and executed; and develops and implements policies and procedures to ensure the health, safety, and security of students, faculty, staff and visitors. The chief provides leadership for a staff of 120, including 100 sworn officers, and oversees a budget of approximately $19 million.

Additional position responsibilities include:

  • Provides leadership to staff responsible for the implementation of department goals and objectives. Engages in recruitment of a diverse police department, oversees ongoing staff development and training, as well as staffing, hiring, firing, evaluation, and promotion.
  • Responsible for managing and appropriately allocating the police department budget; analyzes, monitors and evaluates staffing utilization against budgeted staffing base.
  • Responsible for building and maintaining relationships with the Connecticut State Police including resident troopers and also with local police departments in the cities of Hartford, Farmington, Stamford, Waterbury and the town of Groton who serve communities where campuses are embedded.
  • Collaborates with other divisional leaders, including fire chief, director of emergency management and communications manager, to carryout effective, unified responses to emergencies, planned and unplanned events and community needs; issues crime and emergency alerts as appropriate; acts as responsible authority for the department in emergency response situations; and participates in supporting university-wide emergency response efforts.
  • Serves as liaison to other external law enforcement agencies and neighborhood security associations; handles all media reporting related to law enforcement matters; represents the department with internal constituencies, including the board of trustees, and external constituencies, including legislators.
  • Analyzes crime trends and incident reports; develops program utilizations of personnel to offset the trends; maintains department crime statistics, including the compiling and filing of the annual security and fire safety report to the Department of Education (Clery Act).

History of the Position

Chief Hans Rhynhart was hired at UConn as a patrol officer in 2001 and was promoted through the ranks having served as patrol section commanding officer, detective bureau supervisor and narcotics unit supervisor. He was appointed associate vice president and chief of police in 2016. Chief Rhynhart will move exclusively into the role of associate vice president for public safety when the next chief of police is hired.

Opportunities and Challenges of the Role

The next chief must possess a broad and deep understanding of national best practices with regard to community policing, large campus culture, modern technology, and staff development. The chief should be an experienced leader capable of managing crises and complex situations, and equipped to contribute at both a strategic and tactical level to a vibrant, dynamic, and large higher education environment with locations across the state.

The UConn stakeholders were genuinely interested in participating in discussions about this position, and there was a sense of unity in support of identifying a competent and visionary individual who can promote the team, put students as a top priority, and lead the department into the future. A number of opportunities, priorities, and challenges that will face the new chief of police were identified:

  • The division of public safety is reimagining public safety at UConn. With the hiring of the new chief, associate vice president Rhynhart will be able to focus his full attention on developing the organization. The chief will need to bring a problem-solving mindset and be a strong collaborator who has the ability to contribute to the senior leadership team beyond police department issues.
  • Police practices are under a microscope across the country. It will be critical for the new chief to fully commit to implementing a progressive policing philosophy at the University of Connecticut Police Department (UCPD). Officers should be visible, accessible, and engaged with the student body, consistently networking with the faculty and administration, interactively involving the campus in safety and security endeavors, and generally providing a positive representation of the department as an active member of the UConn community. The new chief should use national best practices, innovative new trends, and professional networks to inform the further development of a kind and compassionate policing philosophy.
  • UConn is deeply committed to the values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and community and human relations, so the new chief will need to keep these concepts as a top priority at all times. The chief must ensure inclusion of education and training around diversity, equity, bias, discrimination, and inclusivity in all areas of the department.
  • The department has undergone significant changes in the past three years. UConn Health was added to the organization in 2017 and the police departments for all of the campuses were combined in 2018. Officers are assigned to the locations across the state on a day-by-day basis so some officers are required to commute up to two hours. The department cultures and the nature of the positions can vary significantly at the different locations. For example, officers on the Storrs campus spend significant time in patrol vehicles while officers at the smaller regional locations are likely to be on foot patrol and have more opportunities for direct interaction with members of the campus community. Therefore, the chief will need to promote flexibility, adaptability and teamwork.
  • The new chief must commit to a comprehensive culture of collaboration and partnering both within the organization and externally for maximum effectiveness; UConn is committed to building relationships as a foundation of the campus culture, and strong collaboration is an absolute necessity in all endeavors to ensure success. The UCPD interacts with a vast number of individuals, departments, and organizations, so it will be critical for the new chief to quickly reach out across campus in order to build strong partnerships that foster ongoing positive relationships. These connections are essential in order to assess real needs, design student-centered programs, and provide high-end customer service at all times. Additionally, the UCPD works closely with state and local law enforcement across Connecticut, so the new chief should be prepared to continue to foster strong collaborative relationships with these partners.
  • The chief will need to make accountability a priority and forge a balance between enforcing rules and supporting UConn’s mission. Working hand-in-hand with the dean of students’ office is an essential relationship, and one that will promote restorative justice and the educational mission of the university.
  • The University is a heavily unionized organization, with nearly all police personnel being represented, so it will be essential for the chief to establish a strong working relationship with the Connecticut Police and Fire Union. As a state agency the chief will also need to be keenly aware and familiar with applicable state statutes that apply to state personnel.
  • The student body at UConn is activist in nature, so the new chief should be prepared to work together with the students to provide safe and secure environments in which to voice their views. The student body is empowered and activated on social issues, is vocal, and will conduct demonstrations around these issues. The campus itself is vibrant, and often active well into the late night hours. The chief should have an understanding of how student protests can be safely and positively supported by campus law enforcement, while also holding community members accountable when laws or university regulations are violated.

Measures of Success

At an appropriate interval after joining UConn, the items listed below will initially define success for the new chief of police.

  • Campus assessment programs show that student perception of the police force and the services provided are positive and rising.
  • A strategic plan that is consistent with divisional mission and goals have been established, and the objectives in that plan are being met by designated timeline.
  • Staffing levels are at or near allocated levels, and employee climate surveys within the department show strong satisfaction and retention levels.
  • The chief has established solid relationships with individuals and departments across the university and the larger community.
  • The chief is viewed as a strong campus leader, is considered the campus expert on law enforcement and the “face” of the department, and, based on best practices across the country, the department is employing the latest and most effective campus law enforcement and community policing practices.

Qualifications and Characteristics

A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and a minimum of twelve years of progressive policing experience and training (FBI, state, general) in law enforcement, including at least six years serving at a command level rank with diverse responsibilities including assignments in administration or supervision of special programs in a department with similar size and complexity to the University of Connecticut are required. A master’s degree from an accredited institution or a terminal degree such as a Ph.D. or law degree, participation and completion of an executive-level law enforcement training course such as the FBI national academy, and experience working at and commanding police personnel in a university setting are preferred. The ideal candidate will possess a demonstrated commitment to, and past experiences with, diversity, equity and inclusion efforts both within a department and the broader community; the ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with senior administration, deans, students, faculty, staff, parents, governmental authorities, community and municipal groups and the public; the ability to understand the complexities of student life and the needs/issues of  the campus communities; and the vision and ability to anticipate and adapt to, at times, a changing environment while maintaining the safety and order of the university. Candidates must possess and maintain authority through Connecticut General Statute 10a-156b “to arrest and present before a competent authority any person for any offense committed within his precinct” and must be able to obtain and maintain Connecticut P.O.S.T. Police Officer Certification including having the ability to operate police equipment and weapons and also demonstrate physical and psychological fitness. In addition, candidates are subject to selection standards pursuant to Section 7-294-a-e of the Connecticut General Statutes and the regulations of the Connecticut Police Officer Standards and Training Council, which require the ability to successfully pass a background investigation including a polygraph and psychological examination.

Additional position qualifications include:

  • Ability to effectively lead, engage and develop policies pertaining to law enforcement at the University of Connecticut.
  • Superior interpersonal skills; as well as strong verbal, written and technological skills and aptitude.
  • Demonstrated knowledge of issues and best practices in a university police services environment.
  • The ability to possess and retain a current valid U.S. Motor Vehicle Operator license.
  • The willingness and ability to be available 24/7 as required.
  • Experience working at and commanding police personnel at collegiate Division 1 athletic events, to include football and basketball event management/oversight.
  • Experience working at and commanding police personnel as well as safety and security personnel and services at a major research hospital, preferably in a university setting.

In addition to the minimum academic and experiential requirements indicated in this document, other desired characteristics, skills, actions, and/or abilities noted from discussions with institutional stakeholders include:

  • possess a strong vision for leading a police department toward its common mission of the service and protection of its community;
  • demonstrate the ability to formulate a plan for unifying and leading police staff who will encounter a broad spectrum of issues that may be directly or indirectly related to the department;
  • strong leadership abilities that inspire staff and promote unity and teamwork, as well as human relations skills to deal effectively with personnel issues when necessary;
  • an excellent and transparent communicator with the ability to reach all levels of the department and the university, including the ability to effectively speak to the press, parents, and the campus community;
  • able to listen carefully, ask knowledgeable questions, learn the department and its intricacies, accept input from staff, and then make well-informed decisions;
  • possess strategic vision and ability to motivate all levels of staff to support that vision;
  • deep knowledge of community policing and ability to integrate that philosophy into the culture of the police department;
  • a student-centered philosophy in which the welfare of students and improvement of the student experience are of the highest priority;
  • possess problem solving skills, with the ability to determine needs, address issues, and manage change effectively;
  • have strong assessment skills, with the ability to make data-driven decisions, set expectations across the department, devise and implement a plan, analyze the results, and propose changes and updates based on these outcomes;
  • demonstrated knowledge and experience in compliance and associated reporting requirements, particularly the details of Clery;
  • adaptable to significant changes on the spur of the moment, not reactive, and able to address situations with a cool and collected demeanor;
  • a strategic and data-informed decision-maker who is also able to think fast on their feet when necessary;
  • strong public relations skills, with the ability to be the positive “face” of university police;
  • ethical, with the utmost integrity, and a good steward of resources;
  • demonstrated experience in embracing and utilizing new and innovative technology;
  • strong budgeting and finance skills, and able to be strategic in all budgetary decisions and recognize at all times the limits of the state budgeting system;
  • an innovator with a futuristic orientation and willing to try new opportunities, remain informed on new trends and best practices, and lead significant change processes;
  • ability to understand that a comprehensive commitment to a customer service philosophy is one of the top priorities of the position;
  • an ardent delegator who can balance knowing when to actively participate and when tasks can be delegated to others who are empowered;
  • willingness to be visible on campus, to participate in the life of the campus, and to work with the administration to provide information and news to the campus community in a timely and appropriate fashion;
  • politically savvy and tactful, with the ability to advocate for the needs of the staff and the department;
  • possess a knowledge of social media and able to harness and leverage it for the department;
  • possess a positive attitude and good sense of humor;
  • experience in and support for professional law enforcement organizations that provide education and development for campus;
  • possess an understanding of mental health issues, as well as the value of having officers trained as mental health officers and being front-line contacts in this area;
  • ability to adequately staff major campus events, including athletics and entertainment, in an efficient and cost-effective manner; and
  • possess deep knowledge of first-amendment and free-speech issues as they relate to a public university setting.

Overview of the Division of Public Safety

The mission of the division of public safety is to protect and serve the university by safeguarding the future of our community through education, understanding, and mutual respect.

The Division has five primary units: the UConn police department (UCPD), the UConn fire department (UCFD), the office of emergency management (OEM), the fire marshal and building inspector’s office (FMBIO) and the department of environmental health and safety (EH&S). The division also operates an emergency communications and dispatch center (including an E911 public safety answering point) and a unit that administers Clery compliance. These departments and offices serve UConn’s main campus in Storrs and all campuses statewide..

The UConn fire department responds to approximately 3,000 emergency calls annually, including emergency medical incidents, fires, hazardous materials incidents, elevator entrapments, odor investigations, gas leaks, confined space incidents, fire alarms, and motor vehicle accidents. The department also supports about 170 events on campus annually, and is dedicated to fire and accident prevention through a wide range of proactive fire prevention and public awareness education programs. The fire department provides emergency medical services and ambulance transport services for the Storrs and Farmington campuses.

The office of emergency management assists the university community with emergency preparedness, response and recovery, and provides emergency training for students, faculty and staff across the university. The office also coordinates with federal, state and local agencies to promote and foster best practices.

The fire marshal and building inspector’s office is responsible for code compliance on all university-owned property statewide, for buildings and construction projects which are not under the jurisdiction of other Connecticut agencies. The office also provides public fire safety education, planning assistance, and maintenance of critical life safety systems in university buildings.

The department of environmental health and safety provides comprehensive environmental health and safety services for the university community by developing and administering effective policies, procedures and trainings that prevent personal injuries and maintain regulatory compliance in the areas of biological, chemical, occupational, and radiation safety.  EH&S is also responsible for environmental regulatory initiatives at the university. EH&S staff oversee four major safety committees.

The emergency communications center is a state authorized E-911 call center serving the Storrs campus as well as the Town of Mansfield.  Dispatchers provided dispatching services to all UCPD and UCFD personnel statewide through a state of the art radio system.  The system has interoperability with state and local law enforcement agencies in Connecticut.

University of Connecticut Police Department

Within the division of public safety, the police department is an internationally accredited law enforcement and fully functional police agency with the same statutory authority as any municipal police department in the State of Connecticut. Sworn officers are state employees and graduates of the Connecticut Police Academy. UConn police are also appointed as law enforcement officers for the Towns/Cities of Mansfield, Hartford, Waterbury, Stamford and Farmington.

The department is responsible for, and its primary mission is, the protection of lives and property at the University of Connecticut and all adjacent areas within the jurisdiction of the UConn police department. This includes the main campus in Storrs, regional campuses located throughout the state and UConn Health.

The UCPD currently has 100 authorized sworn police officers of all ranks, assigned to the main campus in Storrs, as well as UConn Health and l campuses located statewide.

The UCPD derives police authority and precinct boundaries from two separate sources:

  • Connecticut General Statute 10a-156b; the jurisdiction of [the UConn police department] shall extend to the geographical limits of the property owned or under the control of the above institutions, and to property occupied by The University of Connecticut in the Town of Mansfield.
  • Officers of the UConn police department are appointed as law enforcement officers for the Towns/Cities of Mansfield, Hartford, Waterbury, Stamford and Farmington.

The UCPD has jurisdiction on all UConn owned, operated, or leased properties throughout the State of Connecticut. In addition to the headquarters at the Storrs campus in Mansfield, they have substations and police personnel at our Avery Point, Farmington, Hartford/Law School, Stamford and Waterbury campuses.

Department History

The University of Connecticut or UConn police department as it is known today, was first established on April 28, 1972 after the passing of Substitute House Bill 5361, Public Act #119, which called for the “establishment of a special police force for the University of Connecticut.” The university community would receive law enforcement services for many years prior to 1972 with a dedicated team of security officers.

The UConn police department’s main headquarters, which was nothing more than an old farm house, was located at 1501 Storrs Road. This landmark building, which still stands today, can be seen at the top of the hill as you enter the Storrs campus on Route 195.

The UConn police department would make the old farm house home until a public safety complex was built in the early 1990’s. The new public safety building would open and host its first police department “roll call” at 4:00 PM on February 1, 1992.

The UConn police department would eventually open police department branch offices at the Avery Point campus in Groton, as well as the Hartford School of Law. As the University of Connecticut continued to grow and additional campuses would begin to open across the state, the police department began staffing a regional campus police department branch office in 1998 at the Stamford campus located in downtown Stamford and the Waterbury campus in 2004 located in downtown Waterbury. A new Downtown Hartford campus opened in the fall of 2017, which created an entirely new police department branch office.  In 2018 the UConn and UConn Health Police Departments merged, creating the current UConn Police Department.

The department’s organizational chart is available at:

https://publicsafety.uconn.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1532/2020/06/PositionChartPolice_03.13.20.jpg

Leadership

Hans Rhynhart, Associate Vice President of Public Safety and Chief of Police

As associate vice president, Chief Rhynhart is responsible for the leadership, strategic planning and oversight of over 250 employees located within the fire department, fire marshal and building inspector’s office, office of emergency management, emergency communications and environmental health & safety, as well as the police department.

As chief of police, he is responsible for the day-to-day supervision and leadership of 100 sworn police personnel and operations covering UConn’s main campus in Storrs and UConn Health Center in Farmington, as well as 5 campuses located throughout Connecticut.

Chief Rhynhart received the 2004 State of Connecticut Tolland Judicial District State’s Attorney Police Officer of the Year award. He is a double alum of UConn where he received his bachelor of science in environment science and masters of science in human resources management.  In addition, he is a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s 12-week National Academy in Quantico, Virginia.

As a university public safety official and executive, Chief Rhynhart develops and fosters a variety of partnerships that cross all functions of the university.  Included in these valuable working partnerships are leaders from student affairs, facilities, university communications, athletics, university planning, design & construction, and office of the general counsel, among many other departments.

Scott A. Jordan, Executive Vice President for Administration and Chief Financial Officer

Scott joined the University of Connecticut in January 2015.  He has more than two decades of public finance leadership experience in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, where he served five of the last six governors, most recently as undersecretary of the Massachusetts executive office for administration and finance.  Scott received a BA in economics, cum laude, from UMass-Amherst and a master in public administration from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

At UConn, Scott leads the administrative and finance effort, including the departments of budget and planning, financial operations and controller,  business services and procurement, human resources, public safety,  information technology services, facilities operations, and university planning, design, and construction.

Institution & Location

Institutional Overview

Founded in 1881, the University of Connecticut is the state’s flagship institution of higher education. In addition to the main campus in Storrs, UConn has regional campuses in Hartford, Stamford, Waterbury, and Avery Point, a Law School in Hartford, and a Health Center Campus in Farmington, which includes the Medical and Dental Schools.

UConn has approximately 10,000 faculty and staff and almost 32,700 students. In 2011, the state of Connecticut signed into law Bioscience Connecticut, which provided funding to UConn to enhance its health center facilities, support greater research innovation, and grow the number of scientists and students in UConn’s medical and dental schools. In 2013, the state legislature passed the Governor’s proposal called Next Generation Connecticut, a ten-year capital investment that will increase the size of UConn’s student body, dramatically enhance physical infrastructure for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs, and create premiere STEM programs. In addition, the university is implementing one of the most ambitious faculty-hiring plans in U.S. higher education to strategically expand its faculty in key research and teaching areas and to increase the number of classes offered.

The university has approximately 270,000 alumni worldwide, over 140,000 of whom live in Connecticut. Student diversity continues to increase, as does the number of honor students, valedictorians, and salutatorians who consistently make UConn their top choice. UConn’s retention rate is among the best for public universities in the nation, with 93 percent of students returning for their sophomore year.

The University of Connecticut is dedicated to excellence demonstrated through national and international recognition. Through freedom of academic inquiry and expression, UConn creates and disseminates knowledge by means of scholarly and creative achievements, graduate, and professional education, and outreach. With a focus on teaching and learning, the university helps every student grow intellectually and become a contributing member of the state, national, and world communities.

Through research, teaching, service, and outreach, UConn embraces diversity and cultivates leadership, integrity, and engaged citizenship in its students, faculty, staff, and alumni. As the state’s flagship public university, and as a land and sea grant institution, UConn promotes the health and well-being of citizens by enhancing the social, economic, cultural, and natural environments of the state and beyond.

The university serves as a beacon of academic and research excellence as well as a center for innovation and social service to communities. UConn is a leader in many scholarly, research, and innovation areas. Today, the path forward includes exciting opportunities and notable challenges. Record numbers of undergraduate applications and support for student success have enabled the university to become extraordinarily selective.

In just 15 years, the university’s ranking by U.S. News & World Report among public universities has risen from 38 in 1998 to 23 today. Many initiatives, including the plan to hire many new faculty over the next few years, emerging programs in partnership with The Jackson Laboratory, as well as the nearly $1.6 billion investment in Next Generation Connecticut and the $900 million investment in Bioscience Connecticut present exciting opportunities and unique challenges for the University’s research endeavors. UConn’s partnerships with United Technologies, General Electric, Northeast Utilities, and other industries through UConn’s Technology Park also will help to secure its place as an institution of the highest rank among public research universities.

About Storrs, CT

Storrs is a village in the town of Mansfield. The population was 15,344 at the 2010 census. The village is dominated economically and demographically by the presence of the main campus of the University of Connecticut.

Downtown Storrs is a vibrant, walkable downtown in the Town of Mansfield, Connecticut. Adjacent to UConn, Downtown Storrs features a wide variety of restaurants, services, shops, entertainment, and more

Mission and Purposes of the University of Connecticut

The University of Connecticut is dedicated to excellence demonstrated through national and international recognition.  As Connecticut’s public research university, through freedom of academic inquiry and expression, we create and disseminate knowledge by means of scholarly and creative achievements, graduate and professional education, and outreach. Through our focus on teaching and learning, the university helps every student grow intellectually and become a contributing member of the state, national, and world communities.  Through research, teaching, service, and outreach, we embrace diversity and cultivate leadership, integrity, and engaged citizenship in our students, faculty, staff, and alumni.  As our state’s flagship public university, and as a land and sea grant institution, we promote the health and well-being of Connecticut’s citizens through enhancing the social, economic, cultural and natural environments of the state and beyond.

Norms and Values

The following is a list of norms and values that President Katsouleas has shared and shaped through discussions with the senior leadership team of vice presidents, deans, and directors. He invited everyone in the UConn community to take a look at them, discuss them, and possibly shape them to fit their own organizations.

  1. Treat everyone with respect. Praise in public; criticism in private (in person, constructive).
  2. Be bold but responsible with risk — learning and leading require experimentation and sometimes failure. Try to make new mistakes.
  3. Support a culture of reporting at all levels. If you know something is wrong and don’t report it through our channels, then the University knew and did nothing. And that’s not acceptable to any of us.
  4. Assume goodwill. This is a personal as well as general request. I am in a steep learning curve as President and expect to make mistakes (hopefully new ones!). If I make a decision or take an action that slights anyone or steps on your turf, please know that is not my intent.
  5. Foster all forms of diversity, including intellectual. This is of course both a moral and competitive imperative.
  6. Embrace dissent. This is at the heart of academic freedom, a compound value supporting pursuit of truth and supporting dissent as a means for pursuing it. We must be unafraid to speak out for what we believe, but we must be equally unafraid to listen and try to understand the views of others whose perspectives may be different from our own.
  7. Practice consultative and transparent decision making. This is the most effective way to tap into the collective wisdom that we have in abundance here, as well as to maximize the engine that powers a great university.
  8. Strive to do the right thing, especially when it’s hard. In deciding right vs. right, be guided by our highest values (truth, excellence, fairness, and respect) and our Mission (benefitting students, then the state and society at large). As I like to tell students, ethical dilemmas are not between right and wrong (in those cases, you know what to do). They are between right and right. We are confronted with such decisions all the time. For example, we are committed to providing excellent and affordable education, and those two are in natural tension. I hope the first line above gives you courage and the second gives you useful guidance.

Leadership

Thomas C. Katsouleas, President

Thomas C. Katsouleas was appointed as the 16th President of the University of Connecticut by its Board of Trustees in February of 2019, and arrived on campus in August of 2019.

Prior to arriving at UConn, Katsouleas was the executive vice president and provost at Virginia since 2015, having been appointed to the position after serving for seven years at Duke University as the dean of the Pratt School of Engineering and professor of electrical and computer engineering. As the top academic officer at University of Virginia, Katsouleas led six undergraduate and six professional schools with enrollments of more than 16,000 undergraduates and more than 6,700 graduate students.

Katsouleas earned his bachelor’s degree summa cum laude in 1979 from UCLA, after transferring there from Santa Monica Community College, and stayed at UCLA to pursue and receive his Ph.D. in physics in 1984.

He was a researcher and faculty member at UCLA for seven years after receiving his Ph.D., before joining the University of Southern California faculty as an associate professor of electrical engineering in 1991, becoming full professor in 1997. He also was an associate dean of USC’s engineering school and vice provost of information technology services.

Katsouleas is a leading scholar in the field of plasma science and has authored or co-authored more than 250 publications. He has deep roots in academe, having served a term as president of the Faculty and Academic Senate at USC during his time in its engineering school.

He is a fellow of the American Physical Society and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). While at Duke, he also created the Grand Challenge Scholars Program of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), a program now emulated at more than 120 universities across the U.S. and in several countries around the world.

In addition to focusing on the research and academic enterprises, he has a special interest in ensuring the quality of the student experience through ensuring diversity, shared values of respect and responsibility, and recruiting highly talented faculty whose backgrounds reflect those of the students they teach.

Executive cabinet

  • Andrew Agwunobi, Executive Vice President for Health Affairs and CEO of UConn Health
  • David Benedict, Director of Athletics
  • Nicole Fournier Gelston, General Counsel and Chief of Staff to the President
  • Nathan Fuerst, Vice President for Division of Enrollment Planning & Management
  • Michael Gilbert, Vice President for Student Affairs
  • Scott Jordan, Executive Vice President for Administration and Chief Financial Officer
  • Tysen Kendig, Vice President for Communications
  • Michael Kirk, Senior Advisor to the President
  • Carl W. Lejuez, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
  • Radenka Maric, Vice President for Research
  • Scott Roberts, President and CEO of the UConn Foundation
  • Rachel Rubin, Executive Secretary to the Board of Trustees
  • Franklin A. Tuitt, Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer

Academic Programs

At UConn, students have choices. And with more than 120 undergraduate majors to choose from across 14 schools and colleges, they’re bound to find something that inspires them. If the university doesn’t offer the major they’re looking for, students can work with a faculty advisor to create their own individualized major and course of study.

After they’ve completed their bachelor’s degree they can advance their education at the graduate and professional levels. UConn offers several opportunities through 17 graduate degree and 6 professional practice degree programs.

Colleges and Schools

  • College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources
  • School of Business
  • School of Dental Medicine
  • School of Engineering
  • School of Fine Arts
  • The Graduate School
  • School of Law
  • College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
  • School of Medicine
  • Neag School of Education
  • School of Nursing
  • School of Pharmacy
  • Ratcliffe Hicks School of Agriculture
  • School of Social Work

The Student Body

Undergraduate (24,371)

Female: 52%

Minority: 40%

CT Residents: 77%

International: 8%

 

Grad/Professional (8,298)

Female: 54%
Minority: 24%

CT Residents: 67%

International: 21%

Entering freshmen at main campus, fall 2020 (3,825)

  • 54% were in top 10% of high school class
  • 86% were in top 25% of high school class
  • 71 valedictorians and 82 salutatorians
  • More than 3 times more minority freshmen than in Fall 1995
  • Since 1995: 2,930 valedictorians and salutatorians enrolled at all campuses

Benefits Overview

UConn offers a comprehensive benefits program. Details are available at Benefits Beyond Pay | Human Resources.

Application & Nomination

Review of applications begins immediately and will 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 Mark Hall at mah@spelmanjohnson.com. Applicants needing reasonable accommodation to participate in the application process should contact Spelman Johnson at 413-529-2895.

Visit the University of Connecticut website at www.uconn.edu

The University of Connecticut is an AA/EEO Employer, and encourages applications from women, veterans, people with disabilities and members of traditionally underrepresented populations.

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