Wacker will leave her position on June 30, 2024, upon completion of her contract, according to a news release. A search for an interim president will be launched in spring. Wacker has led the university since 2018.
Linda Thompson, next president of Westfield State University, called ‘visionary’ by trustees
Updated Apr 28, 2021;
Posted Apr 28, 2021
Linda Thompson, dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences at University of Massachusetts Boston, has been chosen as the next president of Westfield State University.
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WESTFIELD This is the time of year when college administrative jobs across the United States are filled, so Westfield State University trustees didn’t want to hesitate and risk losing their top choice.
They chose Linda Thompson on Wednesday to become the 21st president of a university that was founded 182 years ago by Horace Mann, who is known as America’s Father of Public Education.
Linda Thompson, a public policy leader and UMass Boston dean, appointed as Westfield State University president
Updated Apr 28, 2021;
WESTFIELD The trustees of Westfield State University have chosen Linda Thompson, a public policy leader and a dean at the University of Massachusetts Boston, as the university’s 21st president.
Thompson is expected to begin her tenure this summer. Her appointment is subject to approval by the state’s Board of Higher Education.
“Based on Dr. Thompson’s credentials and wealth of experience in influential leadership and collaboration, paired with her highly engaging campus visit with Westfield State’s varied constituents, the Board voted to recommend her as the University’s next leader,” Kevin Queenin, chair of the university’s Board of Trustees, said in a statement.
State universities in Massachusetts will require students to get COVID vaccine masslive.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from masslive.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
UMass among schools mandating vaccinations for students
Updated Apr 22, 2021;
Posted Apr 22, 2021
4/24/2020 - Smith College in Northampton is among those that will require students to be vaccinated before coming to campus this fall, but some local other institutions have not taken that route - at least not yet. (Hoang Leon Nguyen / The Republican)
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Students at community colleges in Massachusetts will not.
Other public and private colleges and universities are watching trends, monitoring government requirements and weighing options before declaring whether vaccination will be simply encouraged as all schools are doing or mandatory, with enforceable consequences.
Every institution is preaching health and safety. Whether to make vaccination a requirement, however, is complicated.