January 22, 2021 Today@Brown Message

Dear Members of the Brown Community,

It is with mixed emotion that I write to announce that after nearly four decades of distinguished service at Brown, Vice President for Strategic Initiatives Karen Sibley has decided to retire, effective this month. While I am very happy for Karen, her ingenuity, deep understanding of Brown and unwavering commitment to the University will be sorely missed. Having served as dean of Summer and Continuing Studies, executive associate dean of the College for curricular outreach, inaugural dean of the School of Professional Studies, and vice president for strategic initiatives, Karen has helped shape Brown in important and enduring ways. I am personally grateful for her guidance and partnership during my time as provost. We will look forward to celebrating her accomplishments and impact – just some of which are outlined below - when it is safe to gather in person.

Karen joined the Brown community in 1983 to develop the undergraduate Summer Session and the Brown Summer Academy, a pre-college program now called Summer@Brown. Building on the program’s early success, Karen was central to developing a new version of pre-college programming that offered shorter terms and non-credit, college-level disciplinary exploration courses. This paved the way for the growth of pre-college at Brown, which has expanded from fewer than 100 students in the first year of the Summer Academy to the current enrollment of well over 6,000 students each summer, and established Brown's as one of the best summer pre-college programs in the country.

Under Karen’s leadership, the University created the first summer study abroad programs for Brown undergraduates, strengthened access to summer programs by expanding scholarships for students with financial need, offered a large international summer ESL program, and grew significantly the participation of students from Providence and Rhode Island. During this time, Karen’s portfolio increased and included overseeing the Office of International Programs, Swearer Center and the Career Development Office, as well as the launch of Conference Services.

When the University delved into the realm of professional studies, Karen was tasked with spearheading this charge. As founding dean of the School of Professional Studies, Karen assembled a strong team to develop credit and degree programs for a new population of graduate students at Brown. Since then, the scope and impact of professional master’s education has expanded substantially, enabling Brown to reach new communities of learners and enhance the University’s influence in the world. For example, Karen was instrumental in forging the relationship with IE University in Madrid and developing the IE/Brown Executive MBA program, which now enrolls 40 students annually. She also worked with academic partners to create executive master’s programs in Healthcare Leadership, Cybersecurity and Science and Technology Leadership.  

Through her efforts, and as a partner in a series of digital education advancement initiatives, Karen helped to create the infrastructure and pedagogical approach for Brown’s first online courses, which are now essential components for learning in both Summer Session and Wintersession, and offered the foundation for the recent transition to remote learning. This growth has required concomitant space, and Karen served as a senior member of two teams charged with designing the contemporary facilities needed to deliver high-quality instruction locally and globally for pre-college and professional students: first for the renovation of 200 Dyer Street, and then for the design of Brown’s space at 225 Dyer Street. As a highly engaged member of the Brown community, she has also been influential in evolving University policy through service on numerous committees and studies.

As vice president for strategic initiatives, an appointment she’s held since spring 2015, Karen has focused heavily on K-12 education priorities, serving for a period as co-chair of the Education Department with responsibility for the MAT program and the first phase redesign of the program's curriculum, and engaging with the local education community to strengthen partnerships. More recently, she has stewarded the Brown and the Innovation Economy project, which has included serving as Brown’s representative on the RIHUB board of directors and advisory board, and the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce business innovation advisory committees. She has also worked with Alumni Relations to strengthen alumni engagement, especially focusing on graduate student alumni outreach and programming.

Throughout her tenure, Karen has been actively engaged in professional service beyond campus. She is a member of the University Professional & Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) and served a term as its president and as a member of its editorial board for the digital quarterly "Unbound." She was also president of the North American Association of Summer Sessions, is a founding member of the pre-college programs association, and has been active in the Research Dean's Professional Studies Association and a Summer Sessions association for research universities.  

The University is fortunate to have benefited from Karen Sibley’s adroit leadership, collegiality, and strong belief in the power of education to transform lives. We wish her great health and happiness as she pursues new pathways beyond Brown, while remaining a member of our extended community.

Sincerely,

Richard M. Locke