President Rabinowitz began at Hofstra University in 1972, // Photo courtesy of University Relations.
After being part of the Hofstra community in many roles for over 50 years, Hofstra University President Stuart Rabinowitz announced his retirement; and a year later, looks back on his time in various leadership roles, as well as the surprising direction that his last year took with the pandemic.
“It was sort of unexpected,” Rabinowitz said over a Zoom interview. “In September. of 2019, everything was going great … I really thought that when I let somebody else take the reins, that this year, 2020-2021, would be very easy for me, and then boom!”
The University’s partnership with Northwell Health, which came out of the creation of the medical school during Rabinowitz’s tenure as president, was instrumental in the University’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. “It’s a great partnership, not just because of the [medical] school and the nursing school, but because they helped lead us through this pandemic with expertise.”
When Rabinowitz began in 1972 as a member of the law faculty, and later the dean of the law school, things were much different than they are now, he says. When he began as president in 2001, he wanted to emphasize becoming a “great” university – rather than just the best university on Long Island or a good regional university – and focusing on Hofstra’s graduation rates and retention rates. The average high school GPA of incoming Hofstra freshmen has risen in the past 20 years from about 2.6 to now 3.7, with the highest graduation rate in history this August.
“There is still a lot of work to be done,” he said. “But it’s a combination of providing scholarship aid and raising money for the students to attract the best and brightest, and raising our stature and public visibility – like [by] hosting three presidential debates, and things like that. We’ve seen a lot of progress but there’s plenty of work left to do for the new president, so she shouldn’t be bored,” he said of his successor, Dr. Susan Poser.
Along with the creation of the medical school and partnership with Northwell Health, one of his goals during his leadership was to better support the science departments while still emphasizing a liberal arts education. During his time, the engineering school was founded, and many of the laboratories and buildings were modernized and upgraded with state-of-the-art technology. Additionally, a physician assistant (PA) program was started, as well as a graduate nursing program. Still in the works are the development of an undergraduate nursing program, a physical therapy program, and more.
One of the things Rabinowitz hopes to leave with the Hofstra community after his retirement is the continuation of ambition in every aspect of the University. “One of the things I ran up against when I just became president, was this sort of disbelief in the notion that Hofstra had the resources and foundations to be a great university. And I think over the past 20 years, that’s changed. I think the ambition is there, that nothing is beyond us, and I hope I’ve contributed to that.”
Rabinowitz hopes that more options for adult learners becomes a focus after he retires, offering things like certificates and badges alongside four-year degrees. “I think there are a million things Hofstra can and should explore, and I just ran out of time,” he said. His hope was that the Uuniversity can be more involved in re-training people for a new economy, and a new technological environment. “There are a whole slew of other kinds of programs, not necessarily four-year programs, which would be good for the University and good for the economy. That would have been my next step.”
Hofstra University students enjoying the spring weather. // Photo courtesy of University Relations.
Most of all, Rabinowitz is excited for this year’s upcoming in-person commencement, something he has always looked forward to since his start at Hofstra. “It makes it all worthwhile – that’s what we’re in the “business” to do: to help every young person that comes to us to reach their full potential.”
As a faculty member, he always enjoyed seeing his students that he got to know graduate, and now as president, he says that thrill is only magnified. “I feel like I became the step-father of 11,000 students,” he said.
As for his retirement, Rabinowitz’s plan to “slow down” mainly involves no longer having a 24/7 job – something that he says being a college president is, “if you do it halfway right.” He hopes to return to his roots of teaching as early as fall of 2022, tentatively teaching an undergraduate Introduction to American Constitutional Law course, and says he would enjoy working for a non-profit in some capacity.
His tenure officially ends in August 2021, 51 years after he began as a law faculty member. He hopes that his time at Hofstra has set the foundation for liberal arts as well as sciences, and for the University to reach its full potential as a “great university” – something which he believes it truly can be.
“Nothing’s perfect, but I do think we’ve made a lot of progress and I’m proud of that; and I do leave the University in the very worthy hands of Dr. Susan Poser. It’s been a difficult year, but my prediction is that Hofstra will come out of [the pandemic] better than almost every other local school or school similarly situated, and I think we will flourish.”
