Get to know Capella’s President

Like many Capella University students, Richard (Dick) Senese, PhD, was in the first generation of his family to go to college.

His decision to attend a community college in northern Minnesota and then to obtain his bachelor’s followed by several advanced degrees from a state university forever altered the trajectory of his life. It impacted his extended family and even his community—instilling relatives, friends, and mentors with a sense of pride when the Iron Range native ultimately obtained a PhD in psychology.

“I believe in the power of education to transform people’s lives,” Senese says.

In November 2016, Senese, a longtime educator and community development expert, was named president and chief academic officer at Capella. It’s a role that comes with several important responsibilities. “It’s my job to ensure that our programs are high quality and meet our mission, that they serve learners as they seek to advance their careers, that the university maintains its reputation and accreditations, and that the Capella faculty are well-prepared,” Senese says. “The whole of the academic enterprise falls into my portfolio.”

That may sound like a heavy burden, but Senese is a seasoned administrator and passionate academic. He has served in faculty and administrative roles in various educational settings, including a liberal arts school, a public university, and at Capella—twice. He first joined the online university in the late 1990s and served as associate dean for the Harold Abel School of Psychology for a brief period before leaving in 2001 to help found the Center for Community Vitality at the University of Minnesota. Senese also managed the successful U.S. Senate run of Minnesotan Paul Wellstone in 1990 and worked in his Senate office.

Real people, real transformation

Senese returned to Capella in 2014 to serve as the university’s director of academic affairs. Long an advocate of higher education, he is particularly passionate about the opportunities that online, competency-based education offers. “There are people who come to Capella as first-generation college students who have limited choices in higher education, and the pursuit of that degree is going to make a difference in their professional life and ultimately the lives of their families and communities,” he says. “That’s what gets me excited: It’s about real people in real life situations and wanting to improve that.”              

Senese always looks forward to the opportunity to talk with Capella students at graduation. He recently attended a graduation ceremony and met an older student who had gone back to school after being challenged by her granddaughter. “The grandmother had objected when the granddaughter indicated she was going to drop out of her classes at a local community college,” Senese recalls. “But the grandmother hadn’t completed her degree either, so she said, ‘If you finish your degree, I’ll go back and finish mine.’ They both graduated from Capella at the same ceremony.”

Overcoming challenges

Learning has always been a welcome pursuit for Senese, so he relishes the opportunities that come with immersing himself in a new role at Capella. But he also empathizes with people who struggle to fit learning into their lives —especially students with families and jobs, who must make significant sacrifices to complete their education. When things are tough, he suggests that students remember that their academic achievement will be a source of pride not only to them but to others.

“Don’t lose sight of all the people who are supporting you—not only at Capella but also in your own community,” he says. “There are people who are doing little things for you every day so you can continue because they believe in you. If you have trouble believing in yourself, believe in what others see in you and that will get you through.”

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