ThisIsRochester.com: Higher Education

Kress leaving MCC for post in Virginia

Oct. 9, 2019 -- Anne Kress is leaving her post as president of Monroe Community College to become president of Northern Virginia Community College early next year.

Kress said that she will work with MCC's leadership team to assure a smooth transition.

Kress, who took over as MCC president in 2009, oversaw the downtown campus move from Sibley Square to its new $78 million home on State Street.

Kress a finalist for community college job in Virginia

Sept. 19, 2019 -- Monroe Community College President Anne Kress is one of three finalists to lead Northern Virginia Community College, a school serving more than 92,000 students on six campuses near Washington, D.C.

Kress has been president of MCC since 2009.

"While that search moves forward, I remain focused on serving and advancing MCC, as I have each day for more than 10 years," Kress said in a statement.

The other finalists are Paul Broadie II, president of Gateway Community College in New Haven and Housatonic Community College in Bridgeport in Connecticut; and Joaquín G. Martínez, district vice provost for Institutional Effectiveness at Miami Dade College in Florida.

NOVA oficials said more than 80 people applied for the position.

Lawsuit against UR can proceed

Aug. 28, 2019 -- A federal judge dismissed some clains but declined to throw out a lawsuit against the University of Rochester alleging sexual misconduct and retaliation related to Brain and Cognitive Sciences Professor Florian Jaeger.

Several of Jaeger's current and former colleagues and students filed suit against the university in 2017 alleging a cover-up and retaliation over the professor's alleged improper behavior. The investigation commissioned by UR largely exonerated the university.

Lawyers for UR asked U.S. District Judge Lawrence Vilardo to dismiss the lawsuit on grounds that the plaintiffs had not made a plausible case that unlawful conduct was more than a sheer possibility. In a 58-page ruling, Vilardo rejected multiple specific rebuttals from the university.

"The alleged incidents are not isolated or one-off insults," he wrote. "On the contrary, the plaintiffs allege a pattern of them at the University. And even if some of the actions alone might not be sufficient, in combination they plausibly amount to material adverse employment action."

Mangelsdorf takes helm at UR

July 1, 2019 -- Sarah Mangelsdorf was sworn in as the University of Rochester's 11th president and first female leader.

Mangelsdorf most recently served as the provost and chief operating officer of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is a professor of psychology with a research background in emotional and social development of children.

She succeeds interim President Richard Feldman, who had been serving since the resignation of Joel Seligman in 2018. Seligman stepped down following a controversy over the university's handling of sexual harassment claims against a professor.

Former Fisher student files suit against college

June 27, 2019 -- A former St. John Fisher College student acquitted of rape is suing the college.

In the lawsuit filed in New York State Supreme Court, Bisimwa accuses the college and the assistant dean of students at the college of breaching the agreement made after his March 2016 acquittal. Bisimwa was accused of sexual assault on the Pittsford campus in November 2014 and expelled in January 2015.

The agreement called for the college to pay Bisimwa $110,000 for lost scholarship money and expunge his transcript of all disciplinary actions. According to the suit, there was also a "non-disparagement clause", which mandated that the college would not make "defamatory or disparaging remarks, comments or statements" about Bisimwa.

The agreement also stated the college could disclose his student conduct history minus the violations found at the student conduct hearing. Bisimwa susequently applied for admission at three schools in New York and was rejected from each one. Each of the rejections cited the allegations that he violated the student conduct hearing, according to the lawsuit.

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	A summary of noteworthy news about higher education locally
	Most recent developments Kress leaving MCC for post in Virginia Oct. 9, 2019 -- Anne Kress is leaving her post as president of Monroe Community College to become president of Northern Virginia Community College early next year. Kress said that she will work with MCC's leadership team to assure a smooth transition. Kress, who took over as MCC president in 2009, oversaw the downtown campus move from Sibley Square to its new $78 million home on State Street. Kress a finalist for community college job in Virginia Sept. 19, 2019 -- Monroe Community College President Anne Kress is one of three finalists to lead Northern Virginia Community College, a school serving more than 92,000 students on six campuses near Washington, D.C. Kress has been president of MCC since 2009. "While that search moves forward, I remain focused on serving and advancing MCC, as I have each day for more than 10 years," Kress said in a statement. The other finalists are Paul Broadie II, president of Gateway Community College in New Haven and Housatonic Community College in Bridgeport in Connecticut; and Joaquín G. Martínez, district vice provost for Institutional Effectiveness at Miami Dade College in Florida. NOVA oficials said more than 80 people applied for the position. Lawsuit against UR can proceed Aug. 28, 2019 -- A federal judge dismissed some clains but declined to throw out a lawsuit against the University of Rochester alleging sexual misconduct and retaliation related to Brain and Cognitive Sciences Professor Florian Jaeger. Several of Jaeger's current and former colleagues and students filed suit against the university in 2017 alleging a cover-up and retaliation over the professor's alleged improper behavior. The investigation commissioned by UR largely exonerated the university. Lawyers for UR asked U.S. District Judge Lawrence Vilardo to dismiss the lawsuit on grounds that the plaintiffs had not made a plausible case that unlawful conduct was more than a sheer possibility. In a 58-page ruling, Vilardo rejected multiple specific rebuttals from the university. "The alleged incidents are not isolated or one-off insults," he wrote. "On the contrary, the plaintiffs allege a pattern of them at the University. And even if some of the actions alone might not be sufficient, in combination they plausibly amount to material adverse employment action." Mangelsdorf takes helm at UR July 1, 2019 -- Sarah Mangelsdorf was sworn in as the University of Rochester's 11th president and first female leader. Mangelsdorf most recently served as the provost and chief operating officer of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is a professor of psychology with a research background in emotional and social development of children. She succeeds interim President Richard Feldman, who had been serving since the resignation of Joel Seligman in 2018. Seligman stepped down following a controversy over the university's handling of sexual harassment claims against a professor. Former Fisher student files suit against college June 27, 2019 -- A former St. John Fisher College student acquitted of rape is suing the college. In the lawsuit filed in New York State Supreme Court, Bisimwa accuses the college and the assistant dean of students at the college of breaching the agreement made after his March 2016 acquittal. Bisimwa was accused of sexual assault on the Pittsford campus in November 2014 and expelled in January 2015. The agreement called for the college to pay Bisimwa $110,000 for lost scholarship money and expunge his transcript of all disciplinary actions. According to the suit, there was also a "non-disparagement clause", which mandated that the college would not make "defamatory or disparaging remarks, comments or statements" about Bisimwa. The agreement also stated the college could disclose his student conduct history minus the violations found at the student conduct hearing. Bisimwa susequently applied for admission at three schools in New York and was rejected from each one. Each of the rejections cited the allegations that he violated the student conduct hearing, according to the lawsuit. [ LOOK BACK AT OLDER STORIES ]