Goodwin College Becomes Goodwin University

EAST HARTFORD, CT — Goodwin College has become Goodwin University, effective immediately, school officials said Monday.

The East Hartford-based school, whose campus sits on the banks of the Connecticut River, was founded two decades ago.

"After celebrating 20 years of empowering hard-working students to become sought-after employees, Goodwin College kicked off 2020 by announcing that it will become Goodwin University effective immediately," the official announcement said.

Added Goodwin University President Mark Scheinberg., "Becoming Goodwin University is a natural progression for our institution, our faculty, our staff, our supporters, and most of all, our students. Over the past two decades, Goodwin has evolved from a technology training center into a leading nonprofit institution of higher learning that offers certificate programs as well as associate's, bachelor's and master's degrees.

"Not only does 'university' better reflect our range of offerings, it advances our mission to make a quality, career-focused education more accessible to a greater number of students. It also offers new opportunities for focused research that supports access, workforce, and community issues."

Over the past 20 years, both the school's array of programs and its enrollment have continually expanded. In the past decade alone, enrollment has increased nearly 110 percent. Of the student population of more than 3,000 students, 43 percent are first-generation college students, school officials said.

As part of the transition to Goodwin University, Goodwin is now divided in five academic departments under three schools. The schools will be led by current department chairs who have been elevated to deans.

The three schools are:

• The School of Nursing and Health Professions led by Dean Paula Dowd
• The School of Business Technology and Advanced Manufacturing led by Dean Cliff Thermer
• The School of Applied Liberal Arts and Social Sciences led by Dean Diana LaRocco.

"These three schools reflect our key strengths in helping students prepare for in-demand careers in growing economic sectors," Goodwin University Provost Danielle Wilken said. "This well-defined structure will break down silos and provide faculty with more opportunities to collaborate on curriculum, course design, and staffing to provide even more robust offerings for more Goodwin students. In addition, the schools recognize the growth that we have experienced and better reflect the depth and breadth of our credentials and content areas."