Manhattanville Welcomes Its New President

Manhattanville College kicked off its fall semester with two major changes: a new President and encouraging enrollment numbers.

As the college prepares to reinvent itself under its new President Frank Sánchez, Ph.D, the school welcomed more than 700 new undergraduate and graduate students this fall.

The launch of a new online program in Family Nurse Practitioner in the School of Nursing and Health Sciences, a new 4+1 accelerated program in Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, the new Radiologic Technology program, Computer Science, Psychology, Nursing, Business, Education, and Fine and Performing Arts all contributed to the enrollment increase. The School of Education has also experienced increased new student enrollment, with Applied Behavior Analysis among the standout programs.

Manhattanville has also experienced explosive growth in its graduate program enrollment with a remarkable 45% – 50% increase in total new graduate students.

“We are very pleased to see these positive enrollment trends here at Manhattanville,” said Dr. Sánchez, who started with the college in August. “These numbers affirm our new direction for academic programs as we meet the regional needs of the next generation workforce. Forward thinking curriculum has been part of our cultural fabric since the founding of the college, and we are very proud to carry this legacy forward for a new and even more diverse student population.”

As the fifteenth president of the college and its first Latino president, Dr. Sánchez brings extensive experience and visionary leadership. Throughout his career, Sánchez has championed initiatives that promote access, equity, and diversity in higher education.

Dr. Sánchez’s impressive track record as president of Rhode Island College (RIC), where he served from 2016 – 2022, included elevating the school’s “U.S. News and World Report” social mobility ranking to #2 among New England public institutions, dramatically growing student diversity, modernizing academic facilities, and significantly increasing fundraising, all of which aligns with strategic priorities at Manhattanville. Prior to RIC, Dr. Sánchez was Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs at the City University of New York (CUNY), the nation’s largest urban public university, with 25 colleges and graduate schools. At CUNY, he led the development and implementation of the first system-wide strategic plan for student affairs, supporting more than 500,000 students. 

At CUNY, Sánchez created numerous workforce development initiatives with public, private, and non-profit entities; led the development of the nation’s largest military-friendly higher education system; established city-wide partnerships to support foster youth; and connected city, state, and federal resources to the most economically disadvantaged students.