Education Alumna Named Dean at Florida Southwestern State College

April L. Fleming, Ed.D., graduate of NSU’s Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice, has been named Dean of the School of Education at Florida Southwestern State College.

Fleming has more than 20 years of leadership experience in higher education, preK-12 public education, and educational research and policy. Prior to joining Florida Southwestern State College, Fleming was Director of Education Programs at State College of Florida (SCF), Manatee-Sarasota. During her tenure with SCF, she led a strategic and successful effort to increase the rigor and relevance of the teaching methods and activities of the teacher preparation program, which encompassed the Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education and the Educator Preparation Institute. The curriculum redesigns, which included clinical placement and internships, resulted in a 20% increase in student enrollment during the first year of its implementation.She also forged successful relationships with community partners which resulted in over $300,000 in external funding for teacher preparation, educator quality enhancement and professional development.

Fleming earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and Chemistry from Dillard University, a Master of Science degree in Early Childhood Education and a Doctorate in Education, with a concentration in Higher Education Leadership and a minor in Early Childhood Education from Nova Southeastern University.