Executive Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Scott Dolan
Education
PhD, Sociology, University at Albany, State University of New York
BA, English Literature and Sociology, Loyola University Maryland
About Scott Dolan
Scott Dolan was named executive dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in January 2023. As the founding executive dean of the college, he serves as an integral member of the senior leadership team and is responsible for overseeing and stewarding all academic affairs and administrative operations. The role encompasses a broad range of areas and responsibilities, including strategic planning, business and operational execution, academic quality and excellence, student engagement and success, faculty affairs, and the development of external relationships.
Previously, Dolan served as the vice provost of university partnerships and dean of the School of Graduate Studies. As vice provost, he served as a key member of the University’s transformational partnership team and ensured alignment of all partnerships with the University’s strategic direction. In his role as dean, he provided academic and administrative leadership to the development and pursuit of the vision and goals of the School of Graduate Studies in alignment with Excelsior’s mission.
Dolan joined Excelsior University in 2014 as director of assessment and program evaluation for all degree programs in the former School of Business and Technology. He was promoted in 2015 to executive director of accreditation, assessment, and strategy; became associate dean of business in 2016; and was named associate dean of graduate studies in 2019. In addition to these roles, he has served as Excelsior’s accreditation liaison officer to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) since June 2019, and as such was the institution’s primary liaison to MSCHE on institutional accreditation activities and helped lead the University’s successful self-study report and visit as co-chair of the self-study process.
Prior to joining Excelsior, Dolan worked in the private sector as a researcher and program evaluator of foundation- and grant-funded programs in the P–20 education and health and human services sectors. In addition to his research work, his academic experience includes teaching roles at the College of Saint Rose, Siena College, Schenectady County Community College, University at Albany, and Excelsior University.
He has published and presented widely on various topics related to higher education administration and leadership, outcomes assessment, and faculty development, and his research interests include complex organizations and political and economic sociology. He serves on the Academic Advisory Board to Cyber AB and is a frequent contributor to Forbes as a member of the Forbes Nonprofit Council.
