Worcester Business Journal

10 Worcester Business Journal | November 27, 2017 | wbjournal.com The college's new president seeks to cre- ate continuity from the previous administra- tion's success Keeping Becker moving forward BY GRANT WELKER Worcester Business Journal News Editor O ne often-cited 2013 report by the Federal Reserve says less than one in three college grad- uates work in a job relat- ed to their major of study. Worcester's Becker College is work- ing to address that, instituting a five- class program giving students what the college calls an agile mindset – teach- ing the intangibles it says graduates should learn for professional success anywhere, such as empathy, an entre- preneurial outlook and managing tran- sitions. This fall's sophomore class is the first cohort at Becker to take each agile mindset course. Leading the charge toward what Becker calls futureproof- ing its students among fast changes in today's labor market is new President Nancy Crimmin. "This is certainly in our DNA," Crimmin said of Becker's signature program. Crimmin, who was made interim president in May and the president permanently in October, is leading Becker at a time of quickening change on the small campus in Worcester and at a second site in Leicester. Upcoming milestones A new three-year college plan is in the works. In May, Becker gave out its first master's degrees, in mental health counseling. Next fall, a new master in fine arts in interactive media will be held for the first time, as well an exploratory program allowing fresh- men to test-drive 10 different majors in just two semesters. In January, Becker will open the $7.3-million Colleen C. Barrett Center for Global Innovation and Entrepreneurship, which will enable it to bring back to campus a signature accomplishment, the school's partner- ship with MassDiGI, the Massachusetts Digital Games Institute, now located in downtown Worcester. John Deitrick, an English professor who's been at Becker since 1965, called Crimmin as capable of leading the col- lege as any of the presidents he's worked under before her despite having not been a president before. "She has absolutely won over the academic community, there's no doubt about that," Deitrick said. "She's won over the whole Becker community." Creating continuity Crimmin, a 53-year-old originally from Canton, has spent her whole career in higher education, including 20 years at Assumption College. Her time at Assumption included a stint as a residential director and a promotion to dean of campus life. Crimmin joined Becker in 2012 as vice president for student affairs and was promoted last year to senior vice president and chief academic and stu- dent affairs officer. She was first made interim president after Robert Johnson left to become the chancellor at UMass Dartmouth. In October, the board of trustees gave her the title permanently without conducting a broader candidate search. Trustees wanted continuity, said Arthur DiGeronimo, the board chair- man. He credited Crimmin with a strong sense for the wants and needs of the student body, and he said she was intimately involved with shaping the agile mindset program. "No one knows it better than she does," DiGeronimo said. Recalling the trustees' thought process, he added: "Let's complete what we've started on the direction we've taken under Dr. Johnson's leadership. Nancy was the best to keep that going." Crimmin has a bachelor in psycholo- gy from Stonehill College in Easton, a master in counseling and student per- sonnel services from Springfield College Becker trustees never conducted a broader search for president, wanting to promote Crimmin and give the college continuity. SAT scores of incoming freshmen 932 1040* Enrollment 1,784 1,892 Endowment $1.36 million $4.9 million In selecting Crimmini as its next president, Becker wanted to build upon the success Robert Johnson made when he took over as president in 2010. 2010 2017 *2016 figure Source: Becker College Continuing success P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y

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