Felician University president steps down (updated)

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Felician University announced April 5 that President James Crawford III left his position at the Rutherford school, effective immediately.

Dean of the School of Arts & Sciences Mildred Mihlon was appointed acting president by the board of trustees.

Crawford, a retired admiral and the 43rd judge advocate general of the U.S. Navy, was named the sixth president of Felician in June 2021 after having served as interim leader since September 2020.

“I thank President Crawford for his dedication to our Community,” Jim D’Agostino, board chairman, said in a statement. “I am grateful to Dr. Mihlon for stepping up at this critical time, and I look forward to working closely with her to ensure a smooth transition. We remain strongly focused on our top priorities advancing the mission of Felician University for our students and the communities we serve, and continued preparation for the coming academic year.”

During his time at Felician, Crawford oversaw the completion of the Wellness and Recreation Center and Montross Avenue parking lot projects and the establishment of the STEM Center on Felician’s Lodi campus.

Last month, he represented the school in signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Plainfield Public Schools District and the City of Plainfield to expand opportunities for higher education.

The MOU, also signed by Superintendent of Schools Rashon Hasan and Commissioner and President of the Plainfield Board of Education Hanae Wyatt, encourages high schoolers and employees of the school district to enroll in undergraduate and graduate programs. Under the terms of the agreement, according to an April 4 announcement from Felician, employees and students can apply for undergraduate and graduate programs and certificate offerings, use scholarship incentives and discounted rates, and transfer existing academic credits in any of Felician University’s four schools – Arts & Sciences, Business & Information Sciences, Education, and Nursing.

Mihlon joined the school as dean in October 2020 after serving as associate vice president for academic affairs at Saint Peter’s University in Jersey City.

At the time she said the new role would allow her to focus on what she most enjoys, “working with faculty on assessment and curriculum development to strengthen existing programs and develop new ones that prepare Felician students for rewarding careers and purposeful lives.”

A spokesperson for Felician told NJBIZ that the board will initiate a process to search for a permanent president.

Editor’s note: This story was updated at 9:53 a.m. ET on April 7, 2023, to include response from Felician University about its plans to fill the presidential post permanently. It was updated at 12:05 p.m. ET on April 11, 2023, to correctly identify Hanae Wyatt in the photo caption and reflect that she took part in the MOU signing, not Principal Caryn Cooper as previously indicated. Cooper was in attendance at the event.