Dean College names campus center after outgoing President Rooney

Photo | Courtesy of Dean College Dean College's newly named Dr. Paula M. Rooney Student Center

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By Katherine Hamilton

Dean College in Franklin will rename its student center after President Paula Rooney, as she leaves her position after 27 years in the role.

The renaming of the Dr. Paula M. Rooney Student Center was announced during a celebration honoring the outgoing president, according to a Wednesday press release from Dean.

“This building, known as the Campus Center, is the place where students take classes, perform, study, eat, hang out, celebrate at awards ceremonies, are welcomed at Discover Dean Days and where we all line up for the commencement procession,” Mark Boyce, chair of Dean’s board of trustees, said in the press release.

Rooney announced in October she would leave her role at the end of the 2021-2022 academic school year, making her the first of three college presidents in Central Massachusetts to announce their departures this academic year.

Rooney has led the college since 1995, when she became the 13th president of Dean. Under Rooney’s leadership, Dean established a bachelor’s degree program in addition to its existing associate degree programs, and transitioned to NCAA Division III athletics.