Announcing Dr. Betsy Newman as Executive Vice President

Dear Berklee community,

I’m excited to announce that Dr. Betsy Newman has been appointed executive vice president (EVP), effective January 1, 2025. Betsy has been an exceptional leader for more than a decade at Berklee, putting her heart and soul into supporting our students and our community. As you all know, Betsy brings a wealth of experience and an extraordinary track record of success to this role. Over the past year and a half, she served as interim EVP with distinction. Working closely with EVP for Academic Affairs and Provost David Bogen, she has moved Berklee forward with strategic insight and collaborative leadership. In this position, Betsy will continue to work with David and with me to lead Berklee’s strategic direction. 

As EVP, Betsy will be instrumental in shaping and executing the strategic direction of the institution, taking a student-centric approach to foster innovation and position the institution for long-term success.

Betsy’s contributions to Berklee speak volumes about her ability to deliver transformative results. As senior vice president for Student Enrollment and Engagement (SEE), she led the innovative expansion of programs, services, and experiences intentionally designed to advance student success, resulting in record recruitment, retention, and graduation outcomes. She has provided and will continue to provide strategic direction and leadership to SEE, an organization that she reimagined and reorganized to better support students at every stage of their educational journey, from admissions to careers. With a committed team, Betsy led the development of the Berklee Bridge—a transformational student success initiative that connects every student with a dedicated success advisor and team of specialized advisors—which received a $1.8M grant to fund its implementation. 

Under Betsy’s leadership, to foster belonging, connection, and community, SEE launched the inaugural Center for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and several new student success programs, including the Black Scholars Initiative (BSI); SOMOS Latinx; and RISE, Berklee's first support program for first-generation students. Additionally, the new Berklee Career Center was designed with a distinctive career communities model, broadening students’ access to real-world career paths, industries, resources, and programs. To advance Berklee’s commitment to affordability, Betsy expanded need-based aid for entering students and designed the Thrive Scholarship program for continuing students, increasing financial aid support to the highest level in Berklee’s history. Betsy has also demonstrated steadfast leadership in challenging times, guiding the institution with great skill, care, and commitment.  

Betsy’s career in higher education spans more than 25 years and includes executive roles as dean, vice president, and senior vice president. Throughout her career, she has been dedicated to designing distinctively holistic, student-centered experiences that help students develop as entrepreneurial leaders with creation-driven mindsets—empowering them to discover who they are and what they love to do as artists, innovators, and changemakers of all kinds. She believes deeply in this kind of transformative education and how it contributes to students thriving academically, artistically, and professionally. Betsy received her Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in finance from Babson College, master’s degree (EdM) in higher education administration from Harvard University, and doctorate degree (EdD) in higher education management from the University of Pennsylvania.

Please join me in congratulating Betsy on this well-earned appointment and her continued leadership in advancing Berklee’s mission. This is an exciting milestone as we lay the groundwork for Berklee’s future.

Yours, 

Jim Lucchese
President