From President Frank H. Wu

It is my pleasure to announce, following a national search, the appointment of Patricia Price as Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs. The appointment has been approved by the CUNY Board of Trustees.

Patricia Price joined Queens College in 2022 on an interim basis. She has proven to be an authentic leader who builds excellent, inclusive, and resilient teams to creatively address institutional challenges as well as challenges inherent to the public higher education sector. Patricia utilizes effective storytelling as a strategic leadership tool to build community and convey to diverse audiences the transformative power and value of higher education. Her focus on cultivating, mentoring, and advocating for the next generation of leaders is a valuable contribution to our institution and to public higher education as a whole. She is deeply invested in the public higher education mission of excellence, access, and value.

Over the past two years, Patricia has successfully undertaken many initiatives and improvements in the area of Academic Affairs. As part of her efforts to refocus on our students, Patricia has partnered with LaGuardia and Queensborough Community Colleges in the Better Neighbors Initiative, using data to develop a clearer understanding of who our transfer students are so that we can meet their needs, meeting regularly with the leadership of these colleges, and creating opportunities for faculty, staff, and students to engage on one another's' campuses. She has also focused on Academic Advising, partnered with Enrollment Management, and collaborated with the EAB Navigate team, CETLL, and ITS on many initiatives to support our students’ academic success.  

A pillar of Patricia’s support for faculty has been the implementation of a seven-year Academic Program review (APR) cycle whereby academic departments conduct a comprehensive self-study and host peer evaluators to ensure a high-quality rigorous education, engagement with cutting edge ideas and practices in the discipline, and the placement of emphasis on student learning, student outcomes, and the student experience. COACHE (Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education) survey results have been shared with faculty and an implementation report has been developed. Patricia is partnering with the Queen College Foundation to allocate significant funding for faculty research and is ensuring that directors of our large interdisciplinary programs have predictable, recurring budgetary support for their programming. She is also working on annual showcases recognizing teaching (partnering with CETLL), assessment, and research/creative activities. 

Patricia is leading QC’s reaffirmation of accreditation with Middle States, a seminal project that happens once every eight years and includes the production of a Self-Study Report. This project will culminate in Spring 2026 with a three-day visit from QC’s peer evaluation team. 

Other priorities for Academic Affairs include ensuring a data-informed practice and mindset; establishing clear and streamlined practices, policies, and procedures; and building an outstanding team, including establishing new roles for faculty such as faculty liaison for Evaluation and Assessment, director of the Pre-Law Program, faculty assessment coordinators in each of the academic Schools, and provost’s fellows.

Prior to coming to QC, Patricia served in Baruch College as Associate Provost and Assistant Vice President for Academic Administration, Faculty Development, and Research since June 2017. Her responsibilities there included coordinating personnel actions across the faculty lifecycle, including the tenure and promotion process, academic leaves, and special appointments; leading faculty professional development; and overseeing contract implementation, faculty workload, three-year adjunct appointments, immigration sponsorship, and system-wide faculty initiatives. As the college’s chief research officer, Patricia oversaw the entirety of the research enterprise and represented Baruch at the system level. Prior to her position at Baruch, Patricia held the position of Dean of Academic Affairs at another CUNY school, Stella and Charles Guttman Community College. 

A native of the Pacific Northwest, Patricia attended the University of Washington, where she earned a BA in Business Administration and an MA and PhD in Geography. For 19 years before her arrival in New York, Patricia was a professor of Geography at Florida International University in Miami.

Patricia has obtained significant federal funding for her research from the National Science Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities, and has served as a panelist for both organizations. An internationally recognized urban and cultural geographer, Patricia’s scholarship explores Latinx neighborhood dynamics, critical geographies of race and ethnicity, and diversity in higher education. She has authored four books and numerous journal articles.  

I would like to thank the the search committee chair, Assistant Vice President for Human Resources Lee Kelly, and the search committee members for their service. As part of the search process, candidates met with a panel of faculty and staff, participated in an open forum with members of the President’s Council and P&B, and met with a group of cabinet members. We thank all who were involved for their participation in this important process.

Please join me in congratulating Patricia on her appointment. Patricia can be reached at patricia.price@qc.cuny.edu.