Dr. Missy Alexander

What is a Provost?

The Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost is the chief academic administrator at Western Connecticut State University and responsible for all aspects of the academic mission—from recruitment of students to the administration of the schools and other units that are central to the academic enterprise.  The Provost collaborates with the President in setting academic priorities and provides leadership for the school and college deans and their faculties.

Provost’s Letter

Welcome to Western Connecticut State University. We are so happy that you have joined us in our shared passion for exploration, discovery, and growth. Our mission is as follows: Western Connecticut State University changes lives by providing all students with a high-quality education that fosters their growth as individuals, scholars, professionals, and leaders in a global society. We are committed to bringing that mission to life. Here’s how:

* We promote varied support systems—through tutoring, advising, and our first-year programs—to help students from all backgrounds succeed. As a public university, we take seriously our pledge to support all students and their different needs. Whether you are the first in your family to attend college (if you are, you’re among the approximately 40% of first-gen students at WCSU), or a veteran returning to school after years of service, an honors student seeking unique learning opportunities, or a student who struggled in high school and needs assistance in developing skills to meet college level expectations, we have created pathways for all of you.

* We provide a strong liberal arts foundation for all degree programs.  For those pursuing a clearly defined professional degree such as nursing, accounting, cybersecurity, or musical theatre, or exploring more broadly educational opportunities in psychology, professional writing, or biology, we want all students to experience the perspectives and habits of mind that come from working in multiple disciplines. Our general education program, and the many opportunities to enhance your major with a complementary minor, will help you get the most out of your undergraduate degree.

* We are dedicated to continuous academic improvement. Through program accreditation and review, we regularly examine what we offer and update our programs to reflect new developments in the field and new ideas about teaching. In the past three years, we have transformed our curriculum. We added a degree in cybersecurity to our business program, revised our computer science degree to meet national standards, and changed our musical theatre degree from a Bachelor of Arts to a Bachelor of Fine Arts to better reflect the professional orientation of our students. In addition, we have secured accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AASCSB), the international body that reviews all business programs.

* We have created many opportunities for career connections.  There are external learning experiences in nursing, health promotion studies, education, social work, psychology; applied learning experiences in all majors through research projects, performance opportunities, and senior capstone experiences; and numerous resume writing, mock interview and professional networking opportunities for all students through our Career Services Center..

Each of these steps have helped us to change lives.  Our alumni are proving, again and again, that professional success can be theirs. Just look at some of our graduates:

* Ralph Deluca ’18 graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Justice and Law Administration and has been accepted to George Mason University Law School.

* Leah Begg ’18 returned for a Master of Arts in English after 25 years of life experience. Begg is now a Ph.D. student in English and a First-Year Writing Instructor at the University of Connecticut at Storrs.  She is studying 19th Century American Literature and American Studies.

* Sean Feibusch ’18 earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance and secured a position as a financial analyst at Wells Fargo after interning for the company.

* Amanda Corna ’14 graduated with a B.A. in Media Arts Production before earning her master’s degree in Broadcast and Digital Journalism at the S.I. Newhouse School for Public Communications at Syracuse University. She’s an award-winning producer and anchor for 41NBC Daybreak.

* Broadview Middle School teacher Ellen Meyer ’91 ’00, was named Danbury Teacher of the Year for 2018.

It may sound old fashioned, but at our core, WCSU is dedicated to supporting you on your journey to realizing your own American dream — no matter where you start.  As your partner in public education, we are here to help you transform yourself.

We’re glad you are here,

Dr. Missy Alexander

Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs