Dr. Elizabeth McAuliffe named dean of undergraduate studies

Dr. Elizabeth McAuliffe, RSM, associate professor in the Department of Education and interim dean of academics, has been named dean of undergraduate studies at Salve Regina. Her appointment officially begins May 1.

“I am delighted that Sister Betty will be our dean of undergraduate studies,” said Dr. Scott Zeman, provost/vice president for academic affairs. “She brings into the role a wealth of administrative experience and a deep commitment to the University and its mercy mission.”

A Sister of Mercy, McAuliffe has been a teacher and administrator at the elementary, middle, secondary and post-secondary levels for nearly 50 years. She served as the first president of St. Mary Academy-Bay View, an all-girls preK-12 school founded by the Sisters of Mercy, for 18 years. Prior to that, she was a faculty member at Salve Regina, serving as chairwoman of the secondary education department.

“As a Sister of Mercy and a Salve graduate, I am drawn to the mission of Salve and to the desire to serve in a capacity of leadership that impacts the next generation of Salve graduates and the extraordinary faculty and staff who serve our students,” McAuliffe said.

McAuliffe has served as interim dean of academics since the summer of 2016. In that capacity, she has been developing an implementation and assessment plan for the most recent strategic plan. “Working collaboratively with colleagues, I hope that together we can develop an assessment system that reflects our commitment to ongoing academic excellence and rigor and strengthens our commitment to our mercy mission and to the Catholic intellectual tradition that is our foundation,” she said.

McAuliffe earned her bachelor’s degree in chemistry and biology from Salve Regina in 1968. She holds a Master of Teaching in chemistry from the University of New Hampshire and a Doctorate of Education in curriculum and instruction from Pennsylvania State University.