BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) — FAU, trying to build its credibility in the academic world, has named an interim president with no graduate degree. While Dennis Crudele has spent the better part of his career at FAU, it is of note that he is serving as president of a university where 23-year-olds have achieved higher academic accomplishments. The media release, which follows, only states that Crudele received his BA from Florida State University.
FAU, like all universities, is in the business of selling advanced degrees.
From FAU:
Florida Atlantic University’s Board of Trustees today named Dennis Crudele as Interim President to succeed Mary Jane Saunders, pending confirmation by the Florida Board of Governors. Crudele, a longtime FAU administrator, was named acting president on May 15, when Saunders resigned as FAU’s sixth president.
“I’m pleased to be able to continue the progress we’ve already made in fostering a more responsive and transparent environment here at FAU,” said Crudele. “I pledge to continue making changes where they are needed in order to create a clean slate for the new president to inherit.”
Prior to his role as acting president, Crudele was FAU’s senior vice president for financial affairs, where he oversaw many departments and functions of the university, including human resources, the FAU Police Department, the university budget office, business services, the university controller, the purchasing department, administrative technology support services and business/auxiliary services. He also was executive director of the FAU Finance Corporation and he served as liaison to the Audit and Finance Committee of the FAU Board of Trustees.
Crudele came to FAU in 1987 as director of purchasing. Over the course of 26 years, he rose steadily through the ranks, serving successively as assistant vice president for administration and finance, assistant vice president of operations management in the Division of Student Affairs, associate vice president for financial affairs and acting vice president for financial affairs. In 2010 he was named senior vice president for financial affairs, overseeing an operating budget of $587 million. He has played a major role in the university’s efforts to deal with challenges generated by repeated deep cuts in state funding, totaling $79 million over six years.
Crudele came to FAU from the governing body for the state university system, the Florida Board of Regents, which in 2003 became the Board of Governors. During his six years at the Board of Regents he held a number of positions, including office operations supervisor of business and financial services and purchasing agent. His service on the Board allowed him to gain system-wide knowledge of the business/financial side of university operations.
“FAU is in good hands with Dennis Crudele, as we’ve already seen during his six weeks as acting president,” said Anthony Barbar, chair of FAU’s Board of Trustees. “He has my full support, as well as that of my fellow trustees. We know he will continue to serve as a strong, thoughtful and decisive leader during our search for a permanent president.”
Crudele has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Florida State University.
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