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University of New Haven president frames move to Division I as part of wider growth push including R&D park and Saudi campus
Summary
University of New Haven President Jens Frederickson says the school’s recent move to NCAA Division I is part of a broader strategy that includes an acquired research-and-development facility, a planned relocation of the business college to the main campus and a new campus in Saudi Arabia.
University of New Haven President Jens Frederickson said the university’s recent decision to move its athletic programs to NCAA Division I was driven by strategic risk assessment and momentum among campus leaders, and is paired with a series of institutional expansion plans.
"There was a very real risk that we could be faced with a scenario where we may be divisionless," Frederickson said, describing exploratory talks after instability in the university’s former division and conference. He said the administration, working with a newly hired athletic director and the board, moved quickly to pursue the transition to avoid being left behind.
Frederickson framed the Division I decision as one element of a broader push to align academics, applied research and workforce outcomes. He described the university’s recently acquired 133,000-square-foot building (referred to in the conversation as the ‘‘railroad salvage’’ building) as the basis for a research-and-development park that will connect students to industry partners. "Our students are looking to higher education," Frederickson said. "If you're going to make this sizable commitment, what beyond A's and B's do I have?"
He confirmed an R&D leadership hire referenced only by first name, Paul, and said the individual will help scale applied programs that pair classroom work with industry demand. The university is also relocating its College of Business (identified in the conversation as the Pompeii College of Business) from Orange to the main campus; Frederickson said donors including Dennis Martin have provided major support and that renderings are in final stages for a new quad across from the railroad salvage building.
On international growth, Frederickson said the university will open a campus in Saudi Arabia and described long-standing relationships there and opportunities under the country's Vision 2030 economic diversification plan. "There is an opportunity to launch a series of programs in the College of Business and Digital Innovation," he said, noting visits to Riyadh and meetings with Saudi investment officials.
Hosts JW Stewart and Bruce Barber pressed on student benefits and the practical logistics of moving academic units closer to campus life. Frederickson emphasized the applied, workforce-oriented nature of the university’s research profile and the aim to deliver returns for students through partnerships with industry employers.
No formal vote or board resolution was recorded on the episode; Frederickson described internal planning, hiring and donor commitments but did not present enacted contract or funding totals on air. Funding details and specific timelines for the R&D park and Saudi campus were not specified during the conversation.
Frederickson closed by saying the developments reflect a broader institutional mission to combine applied research, industry partnerships and global opportunities for students.
