Dowling College president abruptly resigns, interim named

Dowling College announced Friday the abrupt resignation of its president and the appointment of an interim president who is a major donor and who does not have a college degree.

Robert J. Gaffney said he would retire immediately for "family and personal considerations," although earlier this year he said he planned to retire at the end of the 2010-2011 academic year.

Gaffney served as Suffolk County executive for 12 years and before that was elected to four terms in the New York State Assembly. He also was an FBI agent.

Gaffney, 67, will be replaced by board of trustees chairman Scott Rudolph, also the board chairman and chief executive of one of Long Island's largest companies, NBTY Inc. of Bohemia, which makes vitamins and food supplements.

Rudolph, 52, "is dedicated to the school, and it's not a long-term thing," trustee John Racanelli of Oyster Bay, said Friday night of the temporary appointment. He said Rudolph had been a generous school donor.

Dowling has 6,000 students at Oakdale and Brookhaven campuses and a Melville business center. The school has endured financial problems in recent years. "It's been doing better," Racanelli said. "Of course we need to make further improvements to ensure its long-term health."

The college said Rudolph will be the first president of Dowling who attended the college as an undergraduate. A school spokeswoman, Kelly Kazemier, said that Rudolph didn't graduate from Dowling or any other four-year institution.

Linda Ardito, Dowling's provost, said Friday night that Rudolph is committed to boosting Dowling's quality, and his academic training hadn't arisen in discussions. "I know he's gone to different schools over time, and I've never actually sat down with him and talked about his educational background," Ardito said.

Racanelli said the subject hadn't come up in board of trustees meetings.

Gaffney and Rudolph were not available for comment Friday, Kazemier said.

In a statement released by the college, Rudolph said, "I look forward to working with the dedicated faculty and staff at Dowling College as we work to provide our students with a quality education."