Sandra Bulmer was a first generation college student who had to pay her own way through school.
Now she’s leading a college, Southern Connecticut State University, whose students largely mirror her experience.
At Southern 50 percent of students are first generation, said Bulmer, recently appointed interim president.
She has made at least a two-year commitment to lead while the university undertakes a national search for a new leader.
“I’ve had an interesting pathway into this presidency,” Bulmer said. “It feels natural for me to lead Southern.”
Bulmer isn’t new to SCSU or to leadership, as she spent 26 years in the university’s College of Health and Human Services, first for 11 years as a faculty member/instructor. Then in 2014 she became dean of that department.
During her tenure as dean, Bulmer helped launched the first Doctor of Social Work program, led the opening of a $53 million interdisciplinary building, and secured $20 plus million to fund health and workforce partnerships across the state.
She knows the school, the culture, the struggles it’s student population often face and has community connections she uses at every turn to further opportunities for student success.
It was mentors like teachers and coaches that encouraged Bulmer in high school, as her parents weren’t formally educated.
Bulmer was born in Rhode Island to a military family who moved a lot and her parents both left high school after an unplanned pregnancy. They divorced while she was in middle school.
She also didn’t live in an area where students were trending toward college.
It was teachers and coaches who instilled in her “that college was achievable,” Bulmer said.
“They encouraged me and showed me the way,” Bulmer said of her mentors.
She was an athlete in high school, doing cross country, track and field, and swimming and in college did triathlons. Her athleticism continues. She bicycles across the country for fun and recently bicycled through Croatia and Slovenia with husband, Steve Bulmer.
Bring SCSU to ‘new heights’
Daniel Ybanez, who graduated from Southern’s nursing school this year got to know Bulmer well as a three-year student ambassador for the Health and Human Services Department, helping to plan events.
Ybanez said he saw first hand that Bulmer is a great problem solver, seeks extra opportunities for students, is extremely good at connecting with people and is a “sweet, sweet” person.
“Sandy is an authentic. down-to-earth human being,” he said. “I think she’ll do great things to promote Southern to new heights.”
Ybanez said, “she’s strong with relationship building skills,” and never forgets to ask others about vacations or classes.
“It’s a great thing to me,” he said.
Just as Bulmer was buoyed by coaches and teachers, she puts a high priority on mentorship for students at Southern.
Navigating academia
“In my college years I didn’t know how to navigate academia,” she said. “I try to be sensitive to the needs.”
When she started college Bulmer at first thought she might want to be a photojournalist and joined the school newspaper staff.
But she wound up switching her major to physical education, earning a bachelor’s degree from California State University Hayward. She then went on to earn a master’s degree in physical education with a focus on exercise physiology from the University of Oregon and later, a Ph.D. in health education from Texas Woman’s University.
“I had a real passion for track and field. I lived the science of athletics,” Bulmer said of her interest.
While living in San Francisco Bulmer had the opportunity for leadership and mentoring at San Francisco Bay Club, an athletic/heath club.
She then entered academia by teaching at colleges in area, falling in love with the profession.
Love brought her here after meeting her future husband from Connecticut while working in the San Francisco area.
Training the next generation
Once here, she joined the SCSU faculty.
“I love being in higher education training the next generation of employees,” Bulmer said.
Once she became dean, “I was able to do a lot of exciting things with that team,” she said.
She and husband Steve, now retired from the tech industry, and onto a new career, have a daughter, 21, who attends a state university in Connecticut. They live in Cromwell.
Bulmer is known to be a champion for access, public health, and equity in education and health.
She calls Southern “a valued community asset,” and says It’s a best kept secret that Southern has this academic rigor.”
At the time of her appointment, then Chancellor Terrence Cheng and the Connecticut Board of Regents for Higher Education praised Bulmer.
“What Dr. Bulmer has accomplished as Southern’s Dean of Health and Human Services is nothing short of impressive,” said then-Chancellor Cheng. “As Southern’s Interim President, she will bring that same strategic vision, ability to innovate, level of energy, and work ethic that will equip her to be the transformative leader the Southern community needs.”
Under her leadership as dean, Bulmer grew the number of students completing internships and practicum experiences in the community, partnering with more than 300 agencies across the state.
Her involvement in the local community has included service on several boards and committees.
Big goals for SCSU
It’s only a two-year gig for now, but Bulmer has powerful goals for her tenure.
A major part of her term will be to spread the word about Southern’s rigor and success stories, along with its affordability, in the community and at high schools.
“I do a lot to connect with high school students so all see college as a possibility, ” Bulmer said.
Another major challenge is paying close attention to state and federal funding, which are undergoing unprecedented cuts by the federal government.
Some federal cuts are direct — as in not renewing ongoing grants and others are through the state, affected by cuts to them through the federal system.
“Any cuts would be a challenge,” she said. “We have to raise money to help fill in the gaps.”
She said they found out without warning the non-renewal of a National Science Foundation grant of $3 million for five years that helped minorities in the sciences. The grant funded scholarships, employees and more.
“New funding has slowed down,” Bulmer said. “We are all dealing with challenges.”
She said many students, most of whom work while attending classes, have basic needs that SCSU helps address with a food pantry, large mental health office, childcare help.
“Many of our students are working and may help support their families,” including their parents, she said.