PLATTSBURGH — SUNY Plattsburgh’s new provost and senior vice president for academic affairs said he sees the role as being not only receptive to the faculty and staff who report to him, but also being a steward for students navigating their educational journey.
Dr. Marcus Tye arrived at SUNY Plattsburgh in August from Pace University’s College of Health Professions, a private institution in New York City, where he served as dean from 2021. Prior to that, he served as dean of the School of Health Sciences and acting dean for the School of Education, both at the College of Staten Island, City University of New York.
“I’ve enjoyed the privilege of being second-generation in my family to attend university, and all my professional career has been at institutions public and private non-profit that serve majority first-gen students,” Tye said. “I’m especially joyous at being back in public higher education as I think it is a human right to have an education, and to be able to do so and graduate with low or no debt is a huge win for all students and their families.
“I’m also aware that education is highly competitive and a provost has to help foster a mosaic of degrees and other academic programs that are of benefit to students both in the near term for good jobs and also life-long understanding of our complex world,” he said.
‘Listen and Learn’
But to accomplish that, he first has to “listen and learn of the hopes, plans and needs of our faculty, staff, students and community,” he said of his plan for his first six months on campus.
“Two priorities I’ve heard so far for the first year and beyond (is that) Plattsburgh’s strategic plan runs through 2025, and it’s a year-plus process to engage the community to make a great five-year strategic plan,” Tye said. “So for a new plan to be ready in January 2026, this spring I’ll be working with shared governance and other leadership to plan the planning process.”
A second goal he’s identified for his inaugural year is to address what he says is a “yearning” he’s heard “for the provost to help the great team of deans, chairs and other leaders facilitate development of new programs while seeking to strengthen existing ones.”
“A guiding academic plan will be a key component of addressing these needs while meeting changes in demographics and student interests and keeping all that is great about Plattsburgh’s existing academic programs,” Tye said.
London Native
The trained clinical psychologist and London native attended Princeton for his undergrad degree and University of North Dakota for his doctorate.
“My parents moved around a bit; we spent some time in Wales and Scotland,” he said. His parents them moved to rural Maine where Tye would graduate from high school. After earning his degree in clinical psychology, Tye eventually turned his attention to higher education and has been in administration full time since 2017. He remains active in scholarly writing; a third edition of his textbook, “Sexuality and Our Diversity: Integrating Culture with the Biopsychosocial,” is being published in a few months.
He met his wife, Una, a real estate investor, while he was a Princeton-Asian fellow in South Korea.
“We’ve been together since 1991,” he said. “We have no children by choice, like to travel — it’s one of our hobbies —and she graciously supports me in my career opportunities that have required our moving.”
Identifying as bi and being out professionally has given Tye “an appreciation and understanding of underrepresented populations.”
“And as a second-gen college student, I could see how my parents progressed and how my grandparents progressed,” he said. “I can see how structural inequities can be reduced by a college degree, particularly for first-generation students, and how social and financial capital, and privilege, accumulates over generations. That’s why public institutions are so important — they facilitate that entry into a multi-generational culture of family advancement for first generation students, while providing superior value and wise return on investment for those who have more economic privilege.”
Serve North Country and Beyond
As such, Tye said he hopes to help SUNY Plattsburgh continue to serve the North Country students as well as those from further afield.
“Comprehensive public universities like SUNY Plattsburgh, in partnership with community colleges, are key anchors for community and for advancing young adult lives, and increasingly, for students from many phases of life as working adults return to complete a degree later in life, to seek extended learning opportunities, or further education with a graduate degree,” Tye said. “And this is a great place for students for around the world and the country to come straight out of high school for our vibrant range of activities, academic programs and student life.”
“I’ve met alumni who graduated decades ago who’ve attended or worked at Ivy Leagues as well as Plattsburgh and who say their experience here was second to none. I hope to continue this tradition of excellence and value.”
Tye said he sees SUNY Plattsburgh as having three strengths in the faculty: “(We have) a faculty from a very wide range of academic areas and disciplines for our size of institution; a faculty that primarily come to us with a passion for teaching and educating our students; and a faculty that has significant accomplishment in scholarship and research and in engaging students in their scholarly work. I hope to support these efforts and in searches (for faculty and staff) to make the case for why this is a great place for a career,” he said.
Work for Greater Good
The new provost said he views his role as facilitator, brainstormer in chief, cautious steward of resources and leader of teamwork. He hopes to live up to the “high expectations the community rightly has and to support the amazing work that’s being done here at SUNY Plattsburgh,” he said.
“I came here because I think SUNY Plattsburgh is well-positioned to thrive, and we are strongest as we work together across divisions, departments and academic programs for our greater good,” he said. “Prospective students from the North Country know the Adirondacks are one of New York’s most beautiful regions, and those from the NYC metro area, other states and countries will be warmly welcomed here for a great education.”