Fishbein assumed his new role on July 1, having served for the past five years as provost and vice president of academic affairs at Daniel Webster College in Nashua, N.H.
“I’m very impressed by his energy and drive, and his insight in a very short period of time to understand the needs of Antioch University McGregor going forward,” said Arthur Zucker, chairman of the Antioch University board of governors.
Antioch University Chancellor Toni Murdock praised Fishbein’s experience and expertise.
“He’s very focused,” Murdock said. “He completely adopts our mission in relation to outreach into the community, the concept of service to the community and quality graduate programs.”
Antioch McGregor focuses on adult education for those who want to complete their bachelor’s degrees or earn advanced degrees in education, management or conflict resolution. The university has about 800 full-time equivalent students with an average age of 40 in the undergraduate program and 38 in the graduate programs.
Fishbein’s goals for the school focus on community, identity and diversification.
“Antioch McGregor has spent a good portion of the last several years in the process of becoming its own campus and its own organization,” Fishbein said.
McGregor’s graduate programs were spun off in 1988 from Antioch College. In fall 2007, McGregor moved from the college campus to a new 94,000-square-foot facility.
“We need to recognize that Antioch McGregor is an entity unto itself, has a specific mission and purpose to serve, and that we intend to serve it,” he said.
Establishing McGregor’s identity is a challenge, Fishbein admitted. The university has provided adult education for more than two decades and has more than 5,000 alumni. “But there are still people who don’t know about us,” he said.
McGregor strived to differentiate itself from Antioch College after the latter school closed in June 2008 because of declining enrollment and other problems. An agreement was announced June 30 to create a new Antioch College independent of Antioch University, which operates five other campuses in four states, including McGregor.
The controversial closing of Antioch College was not an issue for Fishbein in accepting the presidency at McGregor.
“I knew that would impose some challenges for us at McGregor, but that was not in itself a reason not to go forward,” he said. “I believed in the mission that Antioch McGregor has and I believe it was worth being a part of and taking responsibility for.”
McGregor offers a number of quality programs, but not enough of them, Fishbein said. He plans to look at what areas might be “profitable” for the university in terms of usefulness to the Dayton region.
“With the university’s background and expertise in psychology and the burgeoning health care industry in the Dayton region, we obviously want to look to see what we can do in that area,” he said, offering one possible example.
At Daniel Webster, Fishbein oversaw an expansion of the curriculum by introducing nine new programs, including one in Homeland Security. Fishbein holds master’s and doctorate degrees in social psychology.
Antioch University and Antioch McGregor are both interested in working with Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, but Fishbein doesn’t plan to re-create the Homeland Security program at McGregor.
Fishbein, 56, was born and raised in New York City. Before Daniel Webster, he served as chief academic officer at both Lyndon State College in Vermont and Cazenovia College in New York.
Fishbein and his wife, Mary Ann, now make their home in Beavercreek.
Fishbein replaced Barbara Gellman-Danley, who resigned in September 2008 to become vice chancellor of academic affairs and system integration for the Ohio Board of Regents.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2419 or dlarsen@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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