New Dean of Education Appointed for 2020

SUNY New Paltz announced that René Antrop-González will serve as the newest Dean of Education for the college in a statement released on Nov. 25. 

Antrop-González will be leaving his current position as the Dean of the School of Urban Education for the Metropolitan State University. The administrative baton will be officially passed on June 15, 2020, as he prepares to lead during the upcoming fall semester, according to a university statement.  

“I am confident that Dr. Antrop-González’s impressive combination of notable faculty and administrative achievement and his demonstrated success at enhancing education from preschool through post-secondary levels will continue to advance the exceptional work already being done by our talented students and faculty in the School of Education,” said President Donald P. Christian in statement from the university.  

Antrop-González’s predecessor, Michael S. Rosenberg, previously served as the associate dean for research in the School of Education and as a professor in the Department of Special Education at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore for 26 years before he was appointed as the SUNY New Paltz dean in August of 2012. He announced that he will be leaving this position and returning as a professor of special education in the Department of Teaching and Learning in fall 2020. 

The Dean of Education’s duty will be to serve as the chief academic and administrative officer of the School of Education. Antrop-González will mentor and support department chairs, evaluate and develop faculty and recruit new faculty. Also, he must support and initiate regional partnerships with numerous organizations and work with faculty members to develop new innovative programs responsive to the needs of the local region. 

Antrop-González will also manage the School’s budget and engage in external fundraising. He must also oversee accreditation procedures, where the department programs are evaluated, and implement SUNY and State Education Department policies.

He received a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from the University of Central Florida, followed by a master’s degree in teaching English as a second language from the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico. Antrop-González then earned a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in bilingual education from Pennsylvania State University. Prior to working at Metropolitan State University, he was a professor and Goizueta Foundation Chair in Education at Dalton State College from 2013 to 2015. Antrop-González also held several positions within the Second Language Education department of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee from 2001-2013. This included a professor of curriculum, instruction and program coordinator of second language education. 

In 2015, Antrop-González was appointed to his most recent role at the School of Urban Education for the Metropolitan State University. In this leadership position, he worked alongside colleagues at the college to develop and revise policies, procedures and provide recommendations to enhance graduate program visibility and enrollment. He’s also the author of many scholarly articles, book chapters and books including “Schools as Radical Sanctuaries.” 

Antrop-González was unable to be reached for comment in time for publication. 

Max Freebern
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Max Freebern is a fourth-year journalism major who’s going into his fifth semester working for Oracle. He worked his way from a contributor, to copy editor and has served as the News editor for the past few semester. While he normally focuses on local government his true passion is writing immersive work and human profiles.