Photo / Courtesy, Bates College
Rosanna Ferro
Updated: October 11, 2024
Bates College names new VP for student affairs
Rosanna Ferro, a champion of inclusivity in higher education with more than two decades of experience, will join Bates College in Lewiston as vice president for student affairs.
Ferro will start her new role at the private liberal arts school on Dec. 2, succeeding Joshua McIntosh. He stepped down in February after a decade at Bates to become executive dean of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
Since then, Dean of Students Erin Foster Zsiga has served as interim leader of student affairs at Bates.
Ferro most recently served the as inaugural chief of education at College Track, an Oakland, Calif.-based nonprofit that helps young people overcome systemic barriers to earn a bachelor’s degree in pursuit of a life of opportunity, choice, purpose and power.
In that role, she provided strategic oversight for a division comprising some 190 full-time staff, delivering a 10-year program that served more than 4,000 high school and college students across 12 U.S. centers and 300 colleges and universities.
She previously worked in student affairs leadership roles at Rutgers University, Williams College and Ithaca College, where she was vice president for student affairs and campus life.
'Proven leadership'
“Rosanna’s extensive background in student affairs, her commitment to fostering inclusive communities, and her passion for higher education will be incredible assets as we continue to strengthen the student experience at Bates,” said Bates College President Garry W. Jenkins.
“Her proven leadership and dedication to student success will be a great addition as we move forward with a vision of community, academic excellence, and engaged citizenship.”
At Bates, Ferro will lead a student affairs division made up of 13 campus life and student services departments. She will also serve as a member of the senior leadership team.
“Throughout my career, I have been driven by a deep passion for enhancing student engagement, promoting equity, and creating spaces where students feel empowered to grow, learn, and thrive,” Ferro said. “I look forward to bringing this passion to Bates, an institution that is firmly committed to its students and to fostering a strong, inclusive community.”
Ferro earned a doctorate, master’s degree in social work and bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University, majoring in sociology and Spanish. At Rutgers, Ferro was also an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Women’s and Gender Studies.
Bates College ranked No. 9 among Maine’s largest colleges and universities in the 2024 Mainebiz Book of Lists. The rankings was based on the college's full-time undergraduate enrollment of 1,753 in fall 2023.
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