UMass Dartmouth chancellor to step down

Chancellor Divina Grossman today announced that she will step down as leader of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, effective Dec. 24. / COURTESY UMASS DARTMOUTH
Chancellor Divina Grossman today announced that she will step down as leader of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, effective Dec. 24. / COURTESY UMASS DARTMOUTH

DARTMOUTH – Chancellor Divina Grossman announced Friday that she will step down as leader of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, effective Dec. 24.
Grossman will leave office after nearly three and a half years at the helm of the Dartmouth campus, during which time UMass Dartmouth has improved student retention rates, modernized facilities and added new degree programs targeted to meeting state and regional economic needs, according to a news release from the university. Grossman, previously the vice president of engagement at Florida International University and dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences at FIU, said she will remain a member of the UMass Dartmouth faculty and looks forward to being active in the UMass Dartmouth and southeastern Massachusetts communities.
“From the time I began as chancellor, I have been inspired by the men and women who comprise the UMass Dartmouth family, by their earnest belief in the mission to learn, teach, discover and serve; by the faculty whose research has been consequential to this region and whose steadfast mentorship has been life-changing for students; by students with uncommon determination to succeed and an extraordinary devotion to service; and by staff whose loyalty to the university’s mission is reflected in their work every day,” Grossman said in the release.
“I will always value my partnership with my fellow chancellors and two UMass presidents, who are all such strong advocates for public higher education, and I fully respect and accept President [Martin T.] Meehan’s prerogative in building his leadership team,” she said.
“I respect Chancellor Grossman’s decision and the service she has provided to UMass Dartmouth and to the University of Massachusetts over the past three and a half years,” Meehan said in the release. “Divina Grossman has been a tireless advocate for UMass Dartmouth and its students and for the South Coast region. I have enjoyed working with her, first as a chancellor colleague and in my current role as president,” he said.
The Boston Globe reported last month that Meehan was moving to dismiss Grossman by the end of the academic year amid concerns about the campus’s performance.

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