Hancock Inaugurated College President, Arnold Named Dean Of Graduate Studies

Merodie A. Hancock formally became the fourth president of Empire State College

Tai Arnold is the new dean of the Empire State College’s School for Graduate Studies

Merodie A. Hancock formally became the fourth
president of Empire State College in Saratoga
Springs in late March when she received the college’s
official medallion from SUNY Chancellor
Nancy L. Zimpher.

The college also named Tai Arnold as dean of
the college’s School for Graduate Studies. She has
been serving as acting dean since 2013.

“As I look around the room today, I see the faces
of so many people who believe in the opportunities
afforded by higher education and specifically in
those afforded by our innovative and nontraditional
college and, I will proudly say, the country’s gold
standard for a rigorous, liberal arts, open education,”
Hancock told an audience of several hundred
assembled at the Saratoga Hilton.

“I am honored and humbled to share in this mission with each of you,” she added.

Zimpher said Hancock “has been an outstanding leader for the faculty, staff and students at Empire State College, and a valuable partner for SUNY and New York state … Empire State College has become a top choice for nontraditional and adult students. As the college continues to build upon its excellent reputation and service, we are fortunate to have Merodie at the helm”

Board of Trustees Chairman H. Carl McCall and Empire State College Council Chairman James Lytle assisted the chancellor at the ceremony. “Like most nontraditional students, I came to a crossroads in my life”, said inauguration speaker Sandra Barkevich, a current student at the college’s School for Graduate Studies. “Do I settle for a job I loved, but had no room for advancement unless I had a bachelor’s degree, or do I set my sights higher and aim for that degree?”