Press Releases October 30 2024

Patricia Price Appointed Queens College Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

—Price, who joined the college in 2022 on an interim basis, strengthened alliances with community colleges and fostered internal collaborative initiatives to support student academic success—

Flushing, NY, October 31, 2024—Patricia Price has been appointed provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs at Queens College of the City University of New York (CUNY). Price joined the college in 2022 on an interim basis.

Queens College President Frank H. Wu describes Price as “an authentic leader who builds excellent, inclusive, and resilient teams to creatively address institutional challenges as well as challenges inherent to the public higher education sector.” He adds that, “she utilizes effective storytelling as a strategic leadership tool to build community and convey to diverse audiences the transformative power and value of higher education. Her focus on cultivating, mentoring, and advocating for the next generation of leaders is a valuable contribution to our institution and to public higher education. She is deeply invested in the public higher education mission of excellence, access, and value.” Wu acknowledges with thanks the services of the search committee and panel, chaired by Assistant Vice President for Human Resources Lee Kelly, and all those who played a role in the search process.

Over the past two years, Price successfully undertook multiple initiatives and improvements in the Academic Affairs area. As part of her efforts to refocus on students, Price partnered with LaGuardia and Queensborough CUNY Community Colleges in the Better Neighbors Initiative, using data to develop a clearer understanding of who the college’s transfer students are to better meet their needs. She met regularly with the leadership of these colleges and created opportunities for faculty, staff, and students to engage on each other’s campuses. Internally, Price focused on Academic Advising, partnered with Enrollment Management, and collaborated with the EAB Navigate team (formerly known as the Education Advisory Board for Navigate software, a student success management system), the Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning, and Leadership (CETLL), and Information Technology Support (ITS) on many initiatives to support student academic success.

“I am thrilled to have this opportunity to serve Queens College in a permanent capacity,” said Price. “Together with the fantastic team in Academic Affairs and our dedicated faculty colleagues, we will ensure that a Queens College education meets today’s students where they are to provide a rigorous, supportive, and transformative learning experience.”

A pillar of Price’s support for faculty has been the implementation of a seven-year academic program review (APR) cycle whereby academic departments conduct a comprehensive self-study and host peer evaluators to ensure a high-quality rigorous education, engagement with cutting-edge ideas and practices in the discipline, and the placement of emphasis on student learning, student outcomes, and the student experience. COACHE (Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education) survey results have been shared with faculty and an implementation report has been developed. Price is partnering with the Queen College Foundation to allocate significant funding for faculty research and is ensuring that directors of the college’s large interdisciplinary programs have predictable, recurring budgetary support for their programming. She is also working on annual showcases recognizing teaching (partnering with CETLL), assessment, and research/creative activities. 

In addition, Price is leading the college’s reaffirmation of accreditation with Middle States, a seminal project that happens once every eight years and includes the production of a self-study report. This project will culminate in Spring 2026 with a three-day visit to QC from Middle States’ peer evaluation team. 

Other priorities for Academic Affairs include ensuring a data-informed practice and mindset; establishing clear and streamlined practices, policies, and procedures; and building an outstanding team, including establishing new faculty roles such as faculty liaison for Evaluation and Assessment, director of the Pre-Law Program, faculty assessment coordinators in each of the academic Schools, and provost’s fellows. 

For five years before coming to Queens College, Price served at Baruch College as associate provost and assistant vice president for Academic Administration, Faculty Development, and Research. Her responsibilities included coordinating personnel actions across the faculty lifecycle, including the tenure and promotion process, academic leaves, and special appointments; leading faculty professional development; and overseeing contract implementation, faculty workload, three-year adjunct appointments, immigration sponsorship, and system-wide faculty initiatives. As the college’s chief research officer, Price oversaw the entirety of the research enterprise and represented Baruch at the system level. Prior to her position at Baruch, she was dean of Academic Affairs at another CUNY school, Stella and Charles Guttman Community College. 

Price has obtained significant federal funding for her research from the National Science Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities and has served as a panelist for both organizations. An internationally recognized urban and cultural geographer, she explores Latinx neighborhood dynamics, critical geographies of race and ethnicity, and diversity in higher education. Price has authored four books and numerous journal articles.  

A native of the Pacific Northwest, Price attended the University of Washington, where she earned a BA in Business Administration and an MA and PhD in Geography. For 19 years before her arrival in New York, she was a professor of geography at Florida International University in Miami.

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