By Doug Carroll
Communications Staff
It was in his previous position at the University of Phoenix that Dr. Henry Radda found himself taking note of GCU.
Radda, who launched and oversaw the school’s doctoral programs, knew something about growth, having taken the School of Advanced Studies to an enrollment of 7,000.
“I wasn’t necessarily looking to make a change,” he said Wednesday while settling into his office as GCU’s new senior vice president and dean of the College of Doctoral Studies.
GCU is “looking to grow — and to grow well,” he said. “The dedication to quality is here.”
Along with the announcement of Radda as dean, the University disclosed it is adding a Doctor of Business Administration and Ph.D. in General Psychology in January. Those new degrees join programs for Doctorate of Education in Organizational Leadership in five different disciplines.
Radda said he envisions a three- or four-fold increase in Doctoral Studies enrollment in the next few years.
“A key question is: How do you systematize and grow the quality at scale?” he said. “The learning outcomes must remain consistent. There’s an understanding from our executive leadership that we want to create academic and operational collaboration.”
Specifically, Radda said he will be taking a close look at the quality of dissertations.
“As we build that, it will be foundational in bringing the program to scale,” he said. “But you also want to allow for the individual nature of research, the creative freedom.”
In the market-driven sector of higher education, Radda said, GCU holds a distinct advantage.
“Some of our competitors aren’t known for the academic quality we have to offer,” he said. “It’s one of our strengths.”
During Radda’s seven years at the University of Phoenix, he became familiar with the leadership style of Brian Mueller, now GCU’s chief executive officer.
“In only a 45-minute tour of campus, he articulated his passion for Grand Canyon University as a ‘Marquette of the West,’” Radda said. “I’m intrigued by the growth and by the focus on academic quality. The resources and the long-term vision are exciting to me.”
Radda has a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the Union Institute in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a master’s degree in community-school psychology from the College of New Rochelle (N.Y.), where he also did his undergraduate work.
He currently serves as chairman of the board of directors of TERROS, a community-based behavioral health organization. He lives in Fountain Hills.
Reach Doug Carroll at 639.8011 or [email protected].
