College appoints new directors of three key student services
SUNY New Paltz has announced the appointment of new directors of the Career Resource Center, the Scholars Mentorship Program (SMP) and the Tutoring Center, effective for the spring ’16 semester.
F. Mark McFadden, new director of the Career Resource Center
F. Mark McFadden brings more than a decade of experience in career services to SUNY New Paltz. He most recently served as executive director of the Career Development Center at Alfred University in Alfred, N.Y. In his role as director of the Career Resource Center, McFadden will continue the Center’s work of cultivating and sustaining a base of employers to provide internship and employment opportunities for New Paltz students, and developing relationships with faculty and staff across campus, as well as with alumni, to identify potential service learning opportunities.
McFadden holds a master’s degree in community service administration from Alfred University and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. He replaces Tonda Highley, who recently retired as the Center’s director.
Mark Rumnit ’93, new interim director of the Scholars Mentorship Program
Mark Rumnit is a proud SUNY New Paltz alumnus and has been a valued employee at the College since 2008, when he took a position as an academic advisor with the Educational Opportunity Program. He transitioned to Academic Advising in 2012, and over the years has served hundreds of students, assisting with academic challenges like course selection and fulfillment of major requirements and also helping them acclimate to college life through counseling at various stages of their undergraduate careers.
In 2012 Rumnit expanded his role to include working as an instructor in the Scholars Mentorship Program. He brings a familiarity with the program, its mission and its day-to-day operation to his new position as interim director. He is tasked with ensuring seamless service to students while the College conducts a search for a long-term replacement of Chanel Ward, who has accepted a position at another institution.
Since the SMP’s founding in 1988 it has grown to involve more than 50 faculty and staff mentors working with more than 200 student protégés each academic year. Students gain access to unique courses and leadership opportunities in offices and organizations across campus. The SMP is a major factor in attracting high-achieving general admission students of color to SUNY New Paltz, and plays an instrumental role in student success in and out of the classroom.
Rumnit holds a master’s degree in liberal studies & education from SUNY Stony Brook and a bachelor’s degree in history from SUNY New Paltz.
Dante Cantú, new director of the Tutoring Center
Dante Cantú comes to the College after four years as the director of the Center for Student Success & the Higher Education Opportunity Program at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, N.Y. He takes over as director of the SUNY New Paltz Tutoring Center as it prepares to transition into a more wide-ranging student support role through the formation of new partnerships with other services, including the Disability Resource Center and the Educational Opportunity Program. He succeeds outgoing Associate Director Mark Bellomo, who had been with the Tutoring Center since 2008.
Cantú has more than a decade of experience in higher education student advising and administration, having also worked at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. He holds a master’s degree in narrative studies from New York University and a bachelor’s degree in American studies from the University of California at Santa Cruz.