Elissa Tenny

Elissa Tenny came to SAIC from Bennington College in Bennington, Vermont, where she served as provost and dean from 2002–10. Prior to joining Bennington, Tenny served in a variety of roles at The New School in New York City from 1975–2002 including Interim Dean. Tenny holds a Doctor of Education from University of Pennsylvania, Master of Arts in Media Studies from The New School, and a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Stockton University.

During her tenure, SAIC celebrated its 150th anniversary, raising more than $80 million, primarily for student support through increasing student scholarships, promoting wellness, and expanding career-building experiences for students.

Tenny oversaw the relaunch of SAICs career and professional development programs with an entrepreneurial focus, including self-employment, financial management skills, and an entrepreneurs-in-residence program. Tenny reduced educational costs by decreasing undergraduate tuition and spurred curricular innovation by launching a Low-Residency MFA program. She also helped launch SAICs first classroom beyond the Schools downtown campus in Chicagos North Lawndale neighborhood.

Throughout her career, Tenny has remained a leader in the field, having served as chair of the board of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and a member of the Executive Committee of the board of SNAPP (Strategic National Arts Alumni Project). She has been named a notable woman in both education and as an executive by Crains Chicago Business, and ranked sixth on Newcitys list of Chicago notables, “ 50 2017: Who Makes Art Work.”