Randall Edouard, the dean of students and assistant vice president for student affairs, is leaving Binghamton University after 15 years.

Departing to become the vice president for student affairs at SUNY College at Old Westbury, Edouard is leaving a “legacy” behind having worked at the University since March 2009, according to BU President Harvey Stenger. Edouard has held several positions at BU, including director of the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) — a summer enrichment program for incoming first-year students — assistant provost, director of admissions and enrollment and chair of the Binghamton University Town Gown Advisory Board.

On April 24, “Randall’s Roast” was hosted in the Tau Bearcat Room in the Events Center, where colleagues, family, friends and faculty members gathered to celebrate Edouard’s contributions to the campus community. Some in attendance included Johann Fiore-Conte, the associate vice president for student affairs, Brian Rose, vice president for student affairs, and Edouard’s immediate family.

Harvey Stenger gave opening remarks, touching upon Edouard’s character.

“He made all of us happy,” Stenger said. “Every time you saw Randall, you were happy — you felt lucky. When he walks across the parking lot, I feel special, because I get to cross paths with [Edouard] on that day. We will miss running into [him] every now and then.”

Fiore-Conte commented on Edouard’s distinctive sense of style, humor and ability to inspire his coworkers.

“Whenever he steps up to the podium, magic happens,” Fiore-Conte said. “His speeches always leave us motivated [and] entertained and we will miss him dearly. Impeccably dressed, he looks like he can grace the cover of GQ and we’re waiting for that. Beyond his speaking ability and fashion sense, he champions win-win situations and makes sure that everyone comes out on top.”

In May 2022, Edouard earned a doctorate in educational theory, research and practice from BU’s department of teaching, learning and educational leadership.

Edouard expressed gratitude to the campus community for helping him develop both personally and professionally.

“I love everything about BU, and the only reason I decided to leave was to fulfill my professional goal of [becoming] a vice president for student affairs like my current boss, [Rose], whom I respect and adore,” Edouard wrote in an email. “BU has helped me grow because I have had the best mentors and colleagues to learn so many different things from, in order to be successful in any given situation as it relates to higher education.”

According to Edouard, developing a leadership style that encompasses the happiness of people in their workplaces has been one of his most important lessons. He went further, saying it was through a deep dive into creativity and innovation that he developed effective methods of getting things done, as well as embracing and trusting content experts and those that had talents that would benefit.

“Thank you to the entire institution [and] to every division at BU [and] if I’ve crossed paths with you, thank you,” Edouard said. “I close by saying, ‘I love you all, and I thank you for the 15 greatest years of my life.’”

Among the mentors Edouard thanked was Rose, who had been the one to first hire him in 2009. Rose credited Edouard with developing the idea of the [Consultation, Advocacy, Referral and Education (CARE)] Team, further developing the EOP program to be more academically focused and introducing a team of student ambassadors during the pandemic, who promoted and acknowledged positive social behavior related to masking and social distancing.

Isabelle Beyersdorfer, a sophomore in the pharmacy early acceptance program, looked back at the ease of her admissions process, a testament to the processes put forth by Edouard.

“As someone who applied to BU as a pharmacy [student], the application process was a bit different and nerve-wracking for me,” Beyersdorfer said. “But my admissions journey was relatively easy, and I know people who would agree with me. It’s because of caring mentors like [Edouard] who helped implement an easier admissions process for students like me.”

Ciara Summers, a sophomore majoring in human development, expressed appreciation for faculty like Edouard.

“It’s nice to hear about mentors that care for the students, [because] it’s a great quality that can be hard to find in academia,” Summers said. “It’s important for faculty-student relations to be positive and uplifting, and it sounds like Edouard has been a beacon of light for the BU community.”