Forcier named director of Colonial partnership

Mary Frances Forcier

10:24 a.m., April 6, 2005--Mary Frances Forcier has been appointed director of the Colonial Academic Alliance, an academic partnership of the 12 institutions that comprise the Colonial Athletic Association.

The Alliance was created by the CAA presidents in 2002 and is administered by the provosts of the member institutions, which include the universities of Delaware and North Carolina at Wilmington, Drexel, George Mason, Georgia State, Hofstra, James Madison, Northeastern, Old Dominion and Virginia Commonwealth universities and the College of William and Mary.

Headquartered on the campus of George Mason in Fairfax, Va., the Alliance has sponsored several undergraduate research conferences, including one at UD in March 2004. This year’s event will be held April 8-9 at Hofstra.

“The 12 CAA institutions strongly believe that, by cooperating with each other, each individual institution will enhance the educational and professional offerings for all their students, faculty and administrators,” CAA Commissioner Thomas E. Yeager said. “The creation of a full-time office with Mary Frances as its administrator will rapidly accelerate the programs that can be offered for this creative alliance.”

“The 12 institutions that make up the CAA are an incredible resource,” Forcier said. “Collectively, they comprise more than 200,000 students and nearly 10,000 full-time faculty, including three Nobel Prize-winning professors. Through the Alliance, we can leverage these strengths by developing innovative, collaborative programs that improve the quality of teaching, learning and research at each of our member institutions.”

Forcier previously served in public relations and publications management roles at the college, university and independent-school level. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Lehigh University and a master’s degree from Carnegie Mellon University, where she is currently completing the requirements for a doctorate in history and policy.

The Alliance’s programs extend to all aspects of university life outside of intercollegiate athletics. Current programs include the research conferences, the establishment of “visiting academic status” for traveling CAA athletic teams, the coordination of study abroad programs and data sharing to improve the academic performance of the member institutions.

Future programs may include increased academic exchanges for students, faculty and staff, as well as the sharing of scientific and information technology resources.

E-mail this article

To learn how to subscribe to UDaily, click here.