SAN RAFAEL -- Dr. Joseph Fink, president of Dominican University of California for the past 21 years, will retire from his position effective June 30, 2011.
Dr. Fink has led the transformation of Dominican University from a small college of 650 students into a university of more than 2,000 students.
Dr. Fink, appointed Dominican’s eighth president in 1988, is the longest-sitting president among all Bay Area institutions of higher learning.
"Joseph Fink is an extraordinary leader who has had an enormous impact on Dominican University of California," John Gaulding, chair of the university’s board of trustees, said. "Dr. Fink’s academic leadership has helped attract outstanding scholars and students to the university, and his talent and enthusiasm for fundraising have provided the foundation for this institution's remarkable success."
Dr. Fink originally planned to retire from his position effective June 30, 2010. But the board of trustees asked Dr. Fink to serve an additional year as president in order to oversee the implementation of the university’s new Strategic Institutional Plan.
When Dr. Fink arrived at Dominican in 1988, enrollment had dipped below 650 students, total assets were $15 million and revenue was only slightly above $7.2 million, and the physical campus was in need of renovation and modernization.
Today, Dominican University of California’s enrollment tops 2,050 undergraduate and graduate students with an additional 670 participants in the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. The university’s assets are over $100 million and revenue exceeds $58 million. Recent campus enhancements include a state-of-the art recreation center, a new residential village and a $21 million science research facility.
Currently, the university is renovating the 122-year-old Edgehill Mansion into the Dominican Heritage and Alumni House. Adding to those new facilities, Dominican also has greatly improved its IT infrastructure and has added state-of-the-art technology throughout campus.
Dr. Fink holds a doctorate in American history from Rutgers University and an B.A. degree in history from Rider University in New Jersey.
The board of trustees of Dominican has appointed a search committee, under the leadership of Andrew Barowsky, vice chair of the board, to begin a national presidential search.
