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July 29, 2021

Eye to the Future: New University of Bridgeport president sees growth, stability ahead

PHOTOS | CONTRIBUTED An aerial view of the University of Bridgeport’s campus.
By Michelle Tuccitto Sullo

It has been a turbulent past several months for the University of Bridgeport, but its new president, Danielle Wilken, foresees financial stability, growth and success in the coming years.

Wilken, who has 25 years of experience in higher education, took over the top job on May 24. She had most recently served as East Hartford-based Goodwin University’s provost and dean of faculty.

According to Wilken, her first priority as UB’s twelfth president is to “reestablish the excellence of the UB brand.”

“The University of Bridgeport has had a wonderful reputation, but in the past year, there has been some confusion around what was happening with the institution,” Wilken said. “I want to provide clarity as to where the institution is and what’s happening.”

In May, Goodwin and Paier College finalized their purchase of the University of Bridgeport's real estate and academic programs.

Paier College, long based in Hamden, took over UB’s fine arts and design-related programs and has relocated its operations to the UB campus. Goodwin, which had been wanting to expand its reach into the Bridgeport area to attract more students, bought UB’s remaining assets.

However, UB continues to function as a separately-accredited independent institution with its own leadership and board of trustees. The $32 million deal is expected to result in increased financial stability due to cost-sharing efforts.

“The former trustees of the University of Bridgeport realized that they were in an unsustainable model,” Wilken said. “They were struggling with some of the finances in the institution, and they were looking for some partnerships or an opportunity to find a new path forward.”

Photo | Contributed
Danielle Wilken, president of the University of Bridgeport.

Wilken credits those leaders for their efforts, and notes that some other higher education institutions that have faced financial problems have closed.

According to Wilken, because of the deal, UB, Goodwin and Paier can share back office operations to save money, without negatively impacting students.

“It means additional cost savings for all of the institutions involved, even from a perspective of negotiating contracts,” Wilken said. “We are a much bigger institution and are able to participate in contracts in a different way.”

The collaboration between Goodwin, Paier and the University of Bridgeport is being closely watched in the higher education community, says Wilken.

“Higher ed needs to become more efficient, and more student-centered, and I think we are really on track to lead the way and demonstrate an effective model for doing that,” Wilken said. “In five to 10 years, you will see a thriving, robust university that has really set the model for other institutions on how to collaborate, not only interdepartmentally on campus but across institutions.”

She credited the faculty and staff for embracing each other and looking for ways to collaborate.

Manyul Im, provost and vice president of academic affairs at the University of Bridgeport, described Wilken as an “open and candid leader with a no-nonsense approach to problem-solving.”

“In only a couple of months, she has improved the teamwork across our campus and has the institution heading in a smarter, more efficient direction,” Im said.

Looking forward

Another priority for Wilken is to help the University of Bridgeport grow by expanding its academic programming and services.

Wilken is leading an effort to evaluate the university’s academic programs to determine what should be added to its course offerings.

She noted how UB has a Student Entrepreneur Center on campus, aimed at helping successfully launch fledgling businesses.

“We are looking at opportunities for expanding those services for our students and the surrounding Bridgeport community,” Wilken said.

The same evaluation is being done with student services, which range from health services to tutoring to personal advising, to determine what needs to be added.

Wilken says she wants to identify barriers to student learning, then find ways to support those students so any barriers are removed.

“We are really going through an evaluation and assessment of everything we do at UB at this time,” Wilken said.

Wilken says she is involving the entire University of Bridgeport community in the process of targeting areas for change and improvement, including through town hall-style meetings.

“I anticipate this process to take about a year, but I expect it will be an ongoing part of what we do and part of our culture,” Wilken said. “It is not finite. We’ll always be evaluating everything.”

Wilken also says she is focused on developing more faculty professional development opportunities. She has been a faculty member during her career, and she continues to teach courses on medical law and ethics.

“What we have found is that (with professional development), faculty satisfaction and engagement goes up, which translates into happier, more engaged students,” Wilken said.

Wilken, 47, is among the youngest university presidents in the country, and she prides herself on her dual roles as an educational leader and mother of two teenagers, who are ages 13 and 17.

“I have had people say they are watching my career, because of my age and because I am a woman and a mom,” Wilken said. “I am actively trying to balance parenting and presidenting.”

Her kids were on the university Zoom call when the announcement was first made that Wilken would be president, offering their encouragement.

For Wilken, an overlap between her professional and parental roles is to be expected, and she gives her all to both.

“Young women know how engaged I am as a mom, and they have watched me professionally be very active and engaged at work,” Wilken said. “I try to integrate my kids into opportunities to participate and be part of my work. I also have honest conversations with my kids about what I am doing at work and why it is important, and what my values are as an educator.”

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