Middlesex Community College is excited to announce Dr. Matt Hurwitz as the new Dean of Liberal Arts. Most recently, he was the Faculty Director of the River Hawk Scholars Academy and Associate Teaching Professor in English at UMass Lowell (UML). After learning more about Middlesex and its focus on student success, Hurwitz wanted to play a role in the “magic” happening at MCC.
“I hope to take the strengths I’ve developed in my previous work to further help people learn and get excited about the liberal arts, as well as build upon the traditions and leadership in the division,” Hurwitz said. “I look forward to supporting our students, chairs and program coordinators, and faculty to strengthen the coursework, programs of study, and the opportunities MCC offers.”
Understanding MCC’s mission of equity and access, one of Hurwitz’s goals is to expand on equitable outcomes for the liberal arts programs. In addition to fostering a sense of belonging for students, he will focus his attention on those who have historically been under-served, while looking at processes to address performance gaps.
As he begins in his new role, Hurwitz also wants to work on increasing retention, experiential learning experiences, and service-learning opportunities in and outside of the classroom. He hopes to help students bridge the gap between their time at MCC and what comes next, design clear pathways for transfer, provide more real-life application of classroom learning, and keep students on track to graduate on time.
“I come into this role thinking about making sure we are educating and supporting all our students, and that means serving humans and their complex diversity,” he said. “Through talking to people, I’ll build relationships across the college and make myself as available as possible to hear their voices and understand as many perspectives as possible.”
Growing up with a passion for reading and writing, Hurwitz has also always been interested in helping others. From the University of New Hampshire, Hurwitz earned a bachelor’s in English Teaching, a master’s in Teaching, and a Ph.D. in English. He also pursued a master’s in Literature from Arizona State.
“I look forward to supporting our students, chairs and program coordinators, and faculty to strengthen the coursework, programs of study, and the opportunities MCC offers.” - Matt Hurwitz, MCC's Dean of Liberal Arts
When he first started teaching at UML, Hurwitz worked with first-year students in writing courses. For students who needed extra time, he designed course sequences to address their challenges. For a service-learning project, Hurwitz developed and implemented a program to have students work with Lowell public schools.
Moving into his role with UML’s River Hawk Scholars Academy, Hurwitz assisted incoming students who might struggle to adjust to college-life, build their networks, and gain academic skills. He also had the opportunity to work with first generation students to guide them on their paths to success.
“I loved communicating the vision of the program, getting faculty and staff on board, and finding resources for the program while staying student-focused,” Hurwitz said. “UML was my first foray into the wider college areas to pull people together toward a bigger outcome than what was happening in my classroom.”
As he was looking for what to do next, MCC’s Dean of Liberal Arts position offered what he called “the perfect nexus” for his interests and training.
“Ultimately, the kind of impact I want to make is helping students have life-changing educational experiences,” he said. “At MCC, students can open up more opportunities for themselves, such as finding a new job, advancing in their careers, getting the promotion they deserve, and moving onto a four-year institution.”