Clarke Welcomes Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs
Steven Kapelke, Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs
Clarke is proud to announce that Steven Kapelke has been named the Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs. He will serve in the role as the university conducts a nationwide search to fill the position permanently.
Steven has exceptional experience as a leader in higher education. As a consultant for the Higher Learning Commission, he has been instrumental in preparing Clarke for its upcoming accreditation visit this summer. He also served as the Interim Dean of Adult and Graduate Studies at Clarke from 2012-2014. Prior to this, he was Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Columbia College in Chicago and the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design.
My interest in the position of Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs at Clarke University stems in great part from my respect for the institution’s core values: Education, Charity, Freedom, and Justice. Having had the opportunity to serve Clarke as the Interim Dean of Adult and Graduate Studies and, later, as an accreditation consultant and external evaluator, I am deeply aware of how the faculty, staff, and administration live and communicate these values to students, and I am proud to contribute to these efforts.
Steven will be joined in the Academic Affairs Office by Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs Becky Bruxvoort, in a promotion that recognizes her knowledge, skills and years of service. As they seek to hire an Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Associate Dean, they will also find support in Paula Schmidt, an experienced Clarke Education faculty member and administrator who is serving as Transitional Advisor to Academic Affairs through this summer.