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The inaugural dean of Butler University’s new two-year Founder’s College will be Carolyn Gentle-Genitty, the university announced Tuesday morning.
She is currently an assistant vice president and social work professor at IUPUI. She will join Butler June 3.
Butler announced in November that the two-year college is being created to expand access to students from historically underserved communities and increase affordability. Through Founder’s College, the university said students can obtain an associate degree at little or no cost and complete their bachelor’s degree at Butler for about $10,000.
Over the next year, Butler said Gentle-Genitty will develop the new school’s infrastructure and hire faculty and staff.
“We’re thrilled to have found an inaugural dean who is a proven leader and scholar with a heart for helping all students reach their potential,”Brooke Barnett, Butler’s provost and vice president for academic affairs, said in a news release. “Dr. Gentle-Genitty will be a tremendous addition to Butler’s team and a perfect fit to launch and lead this program.”
Originally from Belize, Gentle-Genitty enrolled in a two-year college and paid for her schooling through work-study. She later went to Spalding University in Louisville where she studied social work, earning her bachelor’s degree on a full scholarship and master’s degree through a promissory note.
After leading the YMCA of Belize, Gentle-Genitty moved to Indianapolis to earn a Ph.D. in her field at IUPUI. She then served in several roles at IU starting as director of the University Transfer Office and escalating through the ranks to administrative leadership roles.
She also completed several development programs, including HERS, a national development program for women in higher education, and Next Generation of Leaders, a prestigious IU leadership training program. Gentle-Genitty was also a yearlong leadership fellowship with the American Council on Education where she was prepared for university leadership.
“Butler was warm and welcoming to me from the moment I stepped on campus. I want to create a family culture so that Founder’s College students have that same experience,” Gentle-Genitty said in the release. “We want people to see that Founder’s College is the heart of Butler’s mission by uplifting equity, academic excellence, and access to education–all values shared by our founder, Ovid Butler.”
The school still has several landmark announcements on deck with initial associate degree programs planned to be announced this summer.
Admissions will open in August 2024, and the first class will begin in August 2025.
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