Public Employee Press

Innovative leader tapped to direct District Council 37 college campus

Dr. Patrice Gouveia-Marks was appointed the new director of the DC 37 Campus of the College of New Rochelle on Aug. 5 and has already implemented several innovative changes.

“One of the things that I wanted to do was to expand the curriculum,” said Marks, who relocated from California, where she worked in the state university system. Beginning in the spring, the college will offer courses in labor history and Spanish for the workplace. The campus will also hold four academic forums a year. The first, on Nov. 7, will focus on immigration, migration and deportation, and the second, on Dec. 12, will consider religion and politics.

“It’s important that our students be prepared for the world beyond the four walls of the university,” said Dr. Marks, a graduate of Howard University, who has worked in higher education for over 20 years at institutions including Morehouse College and Stanford University. Her areas of expertise include assessment, student learning outcomes and international education.

Dr. Marks is excited about her new post. “We have amazing faculty here,” she said, “and our enrollment is up, so we’ll keep striving for academic excellence.”

DC 37 Education Fund Administrator Barbara Kairson is also excited about the new addition to the CNR staff. “In the short time that she has been at theDC 37 campus, Dr. Marks has shared with us many exciting ideas that will enrich the learning experience of our members,” she said. “We look forward to working with her and to continuing our strong partnership with the College of New Rochelle.”