Tai Arnold, Acting Provost

Tai Arnold, Ph.D. has 35 years of higher-education experience, including more than 20 years at SUNY Empire State College. She has served in multiple roles at SUNY Empire, most recently as vice provost for student success. Previous roles include interim chief of staff, interim vice provost for academic administration, dean of the School for Graduate Studies, assistant vice president for academic programs, and director of program development. She also was granted a provost fellowship at SUNY System Administration in the Office of Academic Affairs. Prior to joining SUNY Empire, she worked in admissions, financial aid, and in the School of Education at American University. She has experience in new academic program development, academic assessment, operations management, strategic planning, grant writing, student services, and enrollment management. Working with colleagues across the college, she has secured more than $1 million in grants and awards for SUNY Empire.

An academic leader with strong analytic skills, Dr. Arnold generates, develops, and implements ideas that work. She has been commended for her ability to grasp the big picture and understand how complex elements fit together, as well as for her ability to listen, her work with teams, her work ethic, and her integrity. She is committed to transparent and collaborative leadership. Her experience as a first-generation college graduate who followed a non-traditional path profoundly influences her approach to leadership and education. She is committed to providing adult learners with meaningful access to a quality college education at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The process of writing learning narratives for prior learning helped her realize her potential and her calling in higher education. She credits that experience with transforming her view of herself as a learner and as a leader.

Dr. Arnold holds a Ph.D. in education with concentrations in adult learning and higher education, an M.A. in education with a concentration in student development in higher education, and a B.A. in psychology from American University in Washington, D.C.