Meet Jason Ford, Founding Dean of Seton College at Mount Saint Vincent

Jason Ford was working in higher education when he first learned about the Come to Believe (CTB) model. Arrupe College had just opened, and several of his coworkers forwarded a press release about the new two-year school, suggesting that his institution should consider something similar.

"I was excited about the concept then and knew there was a great need in New York for higher education institutions that could meet the needs of underserved students," says Ford. "Fast forward to today: It's amazing that I've been hired as the Founding Dean of Seton College, the new two-year school at the College of Mount Saint Vincent based on CTB’s model."

Ford's career journey to Founding Dean took several turns, but all equipped him with the skills needed to successfully launch the two-year college. Ford has worked in education for decades, including at Iona College, where he focused on student affairs and enrollment, and at various high schools as a principal and teacher. Because of this background, Ford understands what it takes to get students to enroll at Seton College and how to make their experience at the school positive.

Immediately before joining CMSV, Ford worked for the Sisters of Charity—the Roman Catholic religious congregation who founded the college—in another capacity. He served as Vice President for Properties at the Sisters’ Housing Development Corporation, where he oversaw affordable senior housing buildings. In that role, he frequently collaborated with government agencies, managed social services, and dealt with Section 8 funding. This experience will be invaluable in starting a CTB model school, which has a heavy focus on providing students with support services and government-funded financial aid.

"My new position brings together what I've spent my whole career doing while allowing me to continue serving a population that is underrepresented and overlooked," Ford shares.

As Seton College takes shape, Ford's primary focus is on fostering student success and making the school a beacon of opportunity and achievement. He has already begun hiring the college’s first staff members. While taking steps to open Seton College’s doors in Fall 2024, Ford is looking to the colleges already established under CTB’s model—Arrupe College and Dougherty Family College—as benchmarks for the type of success he'd like to achieve.

"My dream is that Seton will fulfill the mission it was set up to serve: to help students succeed," says Ford.