Susan Poser will continue to serve as Hofstra’s president through August 2031.
The Hofstra University Board of Trustees announced the extension of Poser’s presidential contract on Oct. 22, alongside news that Vice Chairman Michael W. Roberge will be promoted from vice chairman to chairman , replacing Donald M. Schaeffer. Schaeffer has been in this role for two consecutive three-year terms beginning in 2019.
Poser said she is “very excited” to serve another term as the university’s ninth president and continue developing Hofstra 100, the university’s ten-year strategic plan.
“We have a lot of accomplishments over the past four years, including record retention rates for our students,” Poser said. “We got the second-largest gift in the university’s history a couple of years ago for the business school. We’ve added a lot of members of the Board of Trustees. Our sports teams are doing very well, so there’s a lot going on at Hofstra, which is the reason I’m so excited to be sticking around.”
The implementation of Hofstra 100 will take the next ten years, leading up to the university’s centennial, Poser said. The plan includes prioritizing interdisciplinary academic programs, community engagement, student success and organizational agility, according to a press release.
“We’re thinking about putting up a little village, like a college town, on some property on the south side of campus,” Poser said. “It would obviously be open to everybody, so it’s not just for the college, but it would serve that way for our students and our community, and we have about 15 acres to work with there. (I’m) very excited about that. And so we’re just getting started with the planning of that.”
Although Schaeffer has completed his term as chairman, he will still be on the Board of Trustees. Over the past six years, he guided the university through difficult times, including the pandemic, Poser said. Schaeffer joined the board in March 2015, and was elected chair in November 2019. Schaeffer was honored earlier this year at the 29th annual Hofstra Gala this May. He is also owner and president of Schaeffer & Sam, CPA, P.C.
President Poser said Schaeffer was a wonderful chairman, and she looks forward to collaborating with Roberge. He joined the Hofstra Board of Trustees in 2014, and is also chairman of MFS Investment Management.
“Mike is a friend and has also just been a great supporter,” Poser said. “He’s been a very dedicated alum and trustee, and I’m very much looking forward to working with him.”
