College Presiden's Series:
Dr. Lucie Lapovsky: Humanitarian Economist at the Helm of Mercy
College
by Joan Baum, Ph.D.
Although the mission of Mercy College sounds pretty much like
statements from other private, independent, comprehensive institutions,
its dynamic president, Dr. Lucie Lapovsky, quickly distinguishes
its pursuit of access and excellence. Mercy's goals constitute
not a wish list but a record of achievement. With an easy-going
manner that's worn only by the confident, President Lapovsky
notes the expansion of campuses, an increase in enrollment,
a dramatic rise in retention and the tripled graduation rate,
not to mention the innovative programs begun or enhanced over
the four years she's been president, many validated by significant
awards from foundations such as Ford and Sloan. She graciously
acknowledges the work of others, particularly the Dean of Online
Learning, a professor of philosophy, who has been with the
college for 20 years, and whose work has brought Mercy College
recognition as a model for teaching online.
A commuter school with almost full
academic programs at its six campuses and extension centers
in New York City and Westchester (only 170 of approximately
7,000 undergraduates and 3,000 graduate students live on
campus), Mercy has a clear sense of identity. It attracts
students because of a) location (an expanded Bronx campus
will open in January; b) low tuition ($10,700 a year); and
c) unusual programs in addition to those that issue traditional
associate, bachelors, and graduate degrees. The college is
particularly strong, the president says, in business, the behavioral
and social sciences, nursing, and in master's education. Its
well-regarded bachelor's in veterinary technology has made
Mercy graduates highly competitive. "We don't play the
U.S. News and World Report game," she says, meaning that
the college does not admit students according to SAT scores
or publicize percents rejected. With remarkable frankness,
she adds that though the college wants incoming freshmen to
have achieved at least an 85% high school average, placement
exams reveal that approximately 40--50% of an entering class
usually tests out as under-prepared in English and math, the
former no surprise considering the demographic change in the
country and the concomitant growth of programs in ESL.
With a Ph.D. in economics, a lengthy
list of publications, and numerous corporate and academic
honors, including being named "one of Maryland's top 100 women," President
Lapovsky seems a perfect fit for an extremely diverse institution
where the average student age is 29, where women constitute
70% of the student population and where 80% of all students
are the first in their families to go to college. "Access," however,
is an important part of the Mercy College mission; indeed,
the president says, the number-one reason for her coming to
Mercy, as its 8th president was "the opportunity to transform
people's lives." Central to this mission is the college's
expanding online curricula. Online problems plaguing other
institutions are of little concern at Mercy, thanks to "Merlin," a
carefully structured and monitored assistance program that
began as technology help but soon grew into a full-service
support system run by undergraduate "wizards." The
wizards, who are funded by AT&T, undergo rigorous training
and address all aspects of counseling–familial, academic,
as well as technological. The program has become a nation-wide
model for how to do well online. The retention in online courses,
the president points out, is higher than in traditional courses.
She ought to know: she taught an economics course online–which
says a lot about this accessible, down-to-earth education activist
who practices what she preaches. And has acted on advice given
to her by former employers: question assumptions, walk around
and ask people what's up, motivate through praise rather than
criticism."#
