Christopher La Barbera Promotes Intellectual Growth and Entrepreneurial Spirit in Higher Ed
Farmingdale State College (FSC) is pleased to announce that Christopher P. La Barbera, PhD has been appointed Assistant Provost, effective August 1, 2023. Reporting to FSC Provost Laura Joseph, La Barbera will be responsible for the campus initiatives that advance the academic mission of the College.
In this role, he will provide strategic direction and oversight for various academic offices including but not limited to Distance Learning, Nexus Center for Career Development and Applied Learning, and The Faculty Center. He will also play an important role in support of the College’s community/civic engagement initiatives in support of the FSC’s Carnegie Classification as well as initiatives in the area of Microcredentialing. As a key member of the Deans' Council, La Barbera will help to advance the campus's strategic plan, and execute other responsibilities as assigned by the President and the Provost.
“Christopher is a proven leader, whose entrepreneurial spirit and dedication to advancing intellectual growth will complement FSC’s sustained commitment to academic excellence.” said Laura Joseph, Provost, Farmingdale State College. “FSC will benefit from his innovative leadership approach, critical in today’s dynamic and rapidly changing higher education landscape.”
La Barbera joins FSC from Massachusetts Bay Community College where he served as Assistant Provost and led the online learning division and academic support areas of the college, including tutoring, accessibility resources, and the library. His experience includes fostering the evolution of curriculum and leveraging technologies to support learning in remote and online formats throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, La Barbera oversaw the development and transition of more than 120 new course sections to an entirely online format, applying instructional design standards to support faculty and ensure continued excellence in course design.
At Massachusetts Bay Community College, he also served as Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences, Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, and Dean of Humanities. His earlier experience includes appointments as Assistant Dean of Continuing Education with Southern New Hampshire University, Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Colby Sawyer College, and Term Lecturer of Philosophy at Stony Brook University.
“This position is a unique opportunity that will serve my passion for the value and importance of public higher education,” said La Barbera. “I am also very excited at the prospect of serving the vibrant, culturally diverse community of my native Long Island in this role.”
He received a PhD and MA in Philosophy from Stony Brook University, and a BA in Philosophy from Dartmouth College.
