Hartwick College Appoints Jennifer Dearden as Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost

Hartwick College has announced the appointment of Jennifer Dearden as vice president for academic affairs and provost, effective June 8. Dearden, most recently interim provost and dean of the faculty at Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania, brings a record of student-centered leadership, academic innovation and strategic growth.

Dearden’s appointment follows a national search and comes at a pivotal moment as Hartwick continues to build on its academic strengths and advance plans for the future.

“Jennifer is a thoughtful, collaborative leader who will build on our strengths,” said President-elect Laurel Bongiorno. “Her experience leading innovation in the liberal arts, supporting faculty and building meaningful partnerships makes her exceptionally well-suited to help guide Hartwick’s academic future.”

During her time at Allegheny, Dearden led a range of initiatives that strengthened academic programming and expanded access. She guided the launch of the Center for Research and Teaching Excellence (CREATE), supporting faculty development and inclusive pedagogy, and oversaw the accreditation and opening of ALIC@Bessemer, a branch campus focused on workforce development in advanced manufacturing. She also helped establish a partnership with Meadville Medical Center to deliver academic coursework for nursing students, expanding pathways into high-demand healthcare fields.

Her leadership has also included co-chairing an institutional artificial intelligence task force, advancing thoughtful and ethical integration of emerging technologies into teaching and learning, and embedding experiential learning opportunities across the curriculum through employer-partnered projects and microcredentials.

In addition to these initiatives, Dearden has extensive experience in the core responsibilities of a chief academic officer, including faculty hiring, tenure and promotion, academic budgeting and shared governance. She played a central role in Allegheny’s successful reaccreditation with the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and has led major efforts to strengthen advising, general education and student success outcomes.

“I am thrilled to join Hartwick College and look forward to working alongside faculty, staff and students to build on its strong tradition of student-centered, experience-rich liberal education,” Dearden said. “I am especially grateful for the warm welcome I have received and look forward to becoming part of a community that already feels like home.”

Dearden’s career at Allegheny began in 2007 as a faculty member in the Music Department and progressed through a series of increasingly senior leadership roles, including department chair, associate provost and senior associate provost, before being named interim provost. A classically trained trumpet performer, she has remained engaged in performance and professional service while building her academic leadership career. 

Across her roles, she has been widely recognized for her transparent leadership style, commitment to shared governance and ability to translate institutional priorities into actionable academic strategies.

Dearden holds a doctorate in trumpet performance from the University of North Texas, a master of music from Florida State University, and a bachelor of music from Ithaca College.