Administration
Simmons College was chartered in 1899 in accordance with the will of John Simmons. The overall governing body of the College is the Board of Trustees. The Board is entrusted with the management of the business, property, and affairs of the College, including setting overall policy for the College, appointing the president and officers of the College, approving the granting of degrees and other academic functions, and ensuring the responsible use of its assets for the long-term health of the institution.
In 2017, in recognition of the comprehensive nature of its programs – bachelors, masters, and doctoral - Simmons applied to and received approval from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to become Simmons University.
The President is appointed by the Board of Trustees and is the chief executive officer of the University, responsible for academic and financial administration in accordance with policies established by the Board. Senior vice presidents and vice presidents report to the president. The president acts as a liaison between the Board of Trustees and the faculty, works with members of the Board and the Simmons community to plan and budget for future needs, and fosters an open, collegial environment for faculty, staff, and students. In addition, the president works closely with alumnae/i, business, government, foundations, educational associations, and other external constituencies and ensures that Simmons University plays an active role in Boston-area community relations and higher education on a national level. Helen G. Drinan is the current president.
The Provost and Senior Vice President, reporting to the President, is the Chief Academic Officer and the second-highest ranking officer at Simmons. All Deans, the Office of Sponsored Research, the Library, the Registrar, the Career Education Center, the Study Abroad Office, and the Office of Academic Advising and Support report to the Provost. In the president’s absence, the provost serves as the chief executive officer for the University. The Provost provides leadership and advocacy for Simmons’s academic programs. The Provost coordinates and manages the promotion and tenure process, advises the President and Board of Trustees on academic matters, and plays a major role in developing the annual budget and in recommending allocation of resources, particularly within academic units. Katie Conboy, Ph.D., is the current Provost.
The Senior Vice Presidents and Vice Presidents leads Simmons’s administrative units. They are responsible for the day-to-day operation of the College as well as long-term planning, staffing decisions, and resource allocation for their respective divisions and, with the President, for Simmons as a whole.
The General Counsel is responsible for providing a variety of legal services to members of the Simmons community, including its Board of Trustees, administrators, faculty, and staff. The general counsel advises on regulatory compliance, internal governance, risk management, and commercial transactions, and she engages the services of outside law firms for matters requiring specialized expertise. The current general counsel also serves as Clerk of the College and Secretary to the Board of Trustees. Kathleen B. Rogers is the current General Counsel.
The Deans are the academic leaders of Simmons four Colleges: the Gwen Ifill College of Media, Arts, and Humanities; the College of Organizational, Computational, and Information Sciences; the College of Natural, Behavioral, and Health Sciences; and the College of Social Sciences, Policy, and Practice. The Deans are responsible for long-term planning, staffing decisions, curriculum support, and resource allocation.