Skleder’s strength

Skleder previously served as senior vice president, provost and professor of psychology at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, located about 100 miles north of Philadelphia. She has experience in strategic planning, accreditation, assessment of student learning, academic program development at all levels, retention, developing educational partnerships to serve students, and community-based learning.

The common theme, of course, is an active and intentional focus on students.

While heavily investing her first year as president in listening to and learning from Brenau students, faculty, staff and stakeholders, Skleder is appreciative that, however Brenau moves forward, it will do so from a position of strength.

“This is a growing area of the country, and we have a great opportunity for sustained recruitment, something that is not true in many other regions,” she says. “That coupled with our international partnerships, close proximity to world-class health care and recruitment efforts not only strengthens enrollment, but it also ensures diversity among our student populations, which also helps to prepare our students for lives of learning and leadership.”

Skleder says the combination of experienced staff, seasoned administrators and an overwhelming majority of faculty terminally qualified and committed to student success is another one of the university’s great strengths.

These attributes — along with with prudent financial management, a pride in being both strongly rooted in history and being forward-looking, and adding programs, learning methods, locations and sports to meet the changing needs of students — are a great recipe for future managed growth of Brenau, which she proudly calls a comprehensive university.

“Brenau is an extraordinary combination of a historic women’s college and an innovative, comprehensive institution that is constantly meeting the changing needs of its students and of society,” Skleder says. “At Brenau today, we have programs ranging from certificates and associate degrees all the way to doctoral degrees. We do so on the historic campus as well as at regional campuses and online to meet the needs of students who cannot come to the campus. We are constantly looking at ways to modify and add programs in order to meet emerging needs. Therefore, when I talk about Brenau, I describe us as an innovative, comprehensive university.”

Skleder knows she has a lot to learn, and she believes she has a lot to offer.

“The days ahead are going to be exciting ones as we build on the great work of my nine superb predecessors and generations of Brenau faculty, staff, students, trustees and friends over 14 decades,” she says. “At Brenau University, we are committed to graduating extraordinary alumni who are equipped to make their marks on the world.”