Rosanna Ferro to join Bates College as vice president for student affairs
Rosanna Ferro, Ed.D., will join Bates College as vice president for student affairs, effective Dec. 2, 2024, Bates President Garry W. Jenkins has announced.
Ferro has over two decades of leadership experience in higher education, driving initiatives that enhance both the academic performance and social-emotional development of college students.
Ferro comes to Bates after serving as inaugural chief of education at College Track, a comprehensive college access and completion nonprofit based in Oakland, Calif. In that role, she provided strategic oversight for a division comprising some 190 professional full-time staff members, delivering an integrated 10-year program serving more than 4,000 high school and college students across 12 U.S. centers and 300 colleges and universities.
Prior to College Track, she served in student affairs leadership roles at Rutgers University, Williams College, and Ithaca College, where she was vice president for student affairs and campus life. There, Ferro played a critical role in re-establishing the division to align with national best practices, ensuring the strategic allocation of resources and personnel to best support students.
“We are thrilled to welcome Rosanna Ferro to Bates College,” said President Jenkins. “Rosanna’s extensive background in student affairs, her commitment to fostering inclusive communities, and her passion for higher education will be incredible assets as we continue to strengthen the student experience at Bates. Her proven leadership and dedication to student success will be a great addition as we move forward with a vision of community, academic excellence, and engaged citizenship.”
At Bates, Ferro will lead a Student Affairs division comprising 13 campus life and student services departments and serve as a member of the senior leadership team.
“Throughout my career, I have been driven by a deep passion for enhancing student engagement, promoting equity, and creating spaces where students feel empowered to grow, learn, and thrive,” said Ferro. “I look forward to bringing this passion to Bates, an institution that is firmly committed to its students and to fostering a strong, inclusive community. I am excited to partner with the talented team here, and to get to know the students, faculty, and staff who make Bates such a special place.”
As Ithaca’s vice president for student affairs and campus life from 2017 to 2022, she provided strategic vision and leadership to a division that comprised 200 professional staff members and 14 departments. She oversaw the development and implementation of numerous strategic initiatives to create a more “student-ready” campus for all students. She provided leadership in the creation of the Center for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Social Change as well as the development and implementation of the college’s Return to Campus plan during the pandemic. She played a key role in launching Ithaca’s first-ever Center for Student Success to help guide efforts and achieve consistency in improving the student experience from enrollment through graduation.
Ferro earned a doctorate, master’s degree in social work, and bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University, majoring in sociology and Spanish. Her dissertation, “Proving Them Wrong: Academically Resilient First-Generation Latinas in College,” identified key “protective factors” for first-generation student success, such as family support, motivation to succeed, and supportive school environments. At Rutgers, Ferro was also an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Women’s and Gender Studies.
Ferro has held leadership roles in professional organizations in the field of student affairs including NASPA and the American College Personnel Association (ACPA). She has made nearly two dozen professional and research presentations on topics including first-generation students in college, diversity and inclusion, women in higher education, and civic engagement. While associate dean of the college at Williams College from 2013 to 2017, she received the Dr. John Hernandez Leadership Award from the Latinx Network and ACPA for outstanding professional and academic contributions.
President Jenkins expressed appreciation for the successful work of the campus search committee, chaired by Amy Douglass, the Whitehouse Professor of Psychology, that led to Ferro’s appointment. “With dedication and skill, the committee worked diligently to engage our community in identifying the next great student affairs leader for Bates.” The national search was overseen by a committee of Bates faculty, staff, and students, with assistance from Spencer Stuart, a leading global executive and leadership search firm.
Ferro succeeds Joshua McIntosh, who stepped down in February 2024 after 10 years at Bates to become executive dean of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. The interim leader of Student Affairs has been Dean of Students Erin Foster Zsiga.
