Saint Martin's Names Interim President
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David R. Spangler, Ph.D., will return to the helm of Saint Martin's University as interim president, board of trustees Chair Ken F. Parsons, Sr. announced Monday.
Spangler, who was president of Saint Martin's from 1984 to 2005, will serve as interim president while the University seeks a replacement for Bryan M. Johnston.
Johnston was to begin his tenure as the University's ninth president next month. He died suddenly June 7. Spangler's interim post will begin July 1.
Spangler's extensive experience with Saint Martin's made him a natural choice for the position, according to Parsons. "It was critical to select somebody who knows and understands our University," explained Parsons.
"Having been president for more than 20 years, Dr. Spangler has a strong connection to the community, the Benedictine tradition and the history of Saint Martin's. He offers a valuable perspective on our challenges and our successes."
Spangler spent 21 of his 23 years at Saint Martin's as president, retiring in 2005. During those two decades, Saint Martin's actively contributed to the development of the Thurston County community. The school grew in enrollment, increased its academic programs, added buildings on campus - most notably O'Grady Library and the Norman Worthington Conference Center - and began its transition from college to university status.
Recently, Spangler served on Washington Learns, Gov. Gregoire's task force on the state's education system. "I am humbled to be asked to serve during this interim period of change. Everyone associated with the University prays for Dr. Johnston's family in this time of trial, and I am confident our Benedictine community will work together to move forward while the search for a new president is underway," said Spangler.
The board of trustees has begun planning its nationwide search for Saint Martin's next president. Board Vice-chair A. Richard Panowicz will head a search committee, which will include representatives from the University's board of trustees, Abbey, faculty, staff and student body.
Shepard New President at Western Washington
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The Western Washington University Board of Trustees selected Bruce Shepard, chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, as Western's 13th president Friday (Apr. 25).
"The Board of Trustees strongly believes that Bruce Shepard is the person we need to lead Western Washington University into its increasingly bright future," said Kevin Raymond, board chair. "Dr. Shepard is a compelling leader who listens and inspires, with a demonstrated record of achievement. He is the right choice for Western."
Shepard will succeed current President Karen W. Morse, who is retiring Sept. 1 after 15 years at Western. Shepard will assume his new duties at WWU on Sept. 1.
Shepard said he is honored to become Western's next president and that he and his wife Cyndie are eager to learn more about Western and its community.
"We are so excited to be joining a University that is recognized across the country for its excellent programs made so by the outstanding people who are the University. We very much look forward to calling Bellingham home," Shepard said.
In talks with campus groups this week Shepard stressed that as WWU president he will work collaboratively with others on and off campus.
"My leadership style is that I don't come in with answers. What does work is for groups of people to share ideas," said Shepard.
Shepard said he was impressed by how passionate Western students, faculty and staff are about Western, and how they want to make a premier University even better. And he praised the leadership of President Morse and the many achievements during her tenure as president.
"She has positioned this University for a very successful transition and has done a beautiful job here at Western," Shepard said.
Raymond said that Morse "is still our president until Sept. 1 and we have a lot to do" but took the opportunity to thank her for "15 years of outstanding leadership at Western."
Morse said she is delighted Shepard will be succeeding her as Western's next president. "I have complete confidence that Western will be in very good hands," Morse said.
The trustees approved a three-year appointment for Shepard. They also appointed him as a tenured professor in the Political Science Department.
Shepard was identified as the preferred candidate on April 23 after a nationwide search and extensive review of candidates. Soon after President Morse announced her retirement, the trustees selected members of the university's Presidential Search Advisory Committee, chaired by Trustee Phil Sharpe. The committee, working with search consultant Greenwood & Associates, forwarded to the trustees 53 candidate applications, with the recommendation to take an especially close look at five candidates. The trustees then interviewed those five candidates, leading to the selection of Shepard as Western's next president.
"I want to recognize the extraordinary efforts of the committee, led by Phil Sharpe, for bringing the search for a president of Western to such a successful conclusion," Raymond said.
Shepard assumed his duties as chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay on Nov. 1, 2001. The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay is in Green Bay, Wisc., has an enrollment of 6,111 students and is part of the University of Wisconsin system.
In his first few months on the job, Shepard met with more than 2,000 people on and off campus to get a sense of where the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay should be headed. Those meetings led to the development of Northeastern Wisconsin's Growth Agenda for the University, an ambitious plan to grow the University's enrollment and to better serve a dynamic, rapidly diversifying region.
Under Shepard's leadership, the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay also has had unprecedented success in gaining private financial support. The Campaign for the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay so far has raised more than $21 million, including $11 million for the Kress Events Center. The Kress Center, the University's renovated and expanded student sports, recreation and events center, was made possible by a unique partnership of students, the state of Wisconsin and community donors.
The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay's campus landscape has undergone a major transformation during Shepard's tenure as chancellor. In addition to the Kress Center, construction at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay during the past six years includes the overhaul of the Laboratory Sciences Building, University Union and Student Services area and three new residence halls.
Other major achievements and initiatives at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay under Shepard's leadership include:
Shepard came to the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay from Eastern Oregon University, where he served as provost and also was a professor of political science. Prior to joining EOU, Shepard spent 23 years at Oregon State University, earning tenure as a faculty member in the Department of Political Science before moving into university administration.
Shepard's academic background includes bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in political science from the University of California, Riverside. His scholarship and teaching focuses on American government, public policy and policy analysis, research methods, and environmental and natural resource politics and policy. He has published widely and is active in numerous professional and community organizations locally and nationally.
A native of California, Shepard is an avid sailor. He and Cyndie have two sons, Paul and Bill.
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McIntyre To Retire As CWU President
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Dr. McIntyre is the first woman to serve as the university's president, a post she assumed in July 2000. She also served a two-year term as President of the GNAC CEO Board.
"President McIntyre has led this university through a critical period in its development, and Central has blossomed under her leadership," said Judy Yu, chair of the CWU Board of Trustees and a member of the presidential search committee that brought McIntyre to campus.
"She has nurtured innovation, encouraged academic discovery and enriched campus life. We'll truly miss her."
Born in Nebraska and raised in Pasadena, Calif., McIntyre earned her bachelor's degree in history and master's degree in journalism from Stanford University.
She received her Ph.D. in history and communication at the University of Washington. McIntyre began her career as an editorial assistant and correspondent for McGraw-Hill World News.
Before coming to CWU, she served on the faculty at California State University, Chico; the University of Iowa; and the University of Utah, where she also served as vice president for academic affairs and as interim president.
"My work at Central has been full of challenges but also great satisfaction," said McIntyre. "I've had the privilege of working with a strong and supportive board, an able leadership team, an outstanding group of faculty and staff, and students who are a constant source of pride and inspiration."
McIntyre, CWU's 13th president, has led the university through a period of unprecedented growth in enrollment, which has increased 27 percent since 2001.
The student body also has become more diverse, with the percentage of students of color rising from 12.9 percent in 2000 to 20 percent in fall 2007.
Over the last seven years construction and renovation projects have transformed CWU's residential campus in Ellensburg and have energized programs at state-of-the-art facilities at Central's six university centers, located on community college campuses throughout Washington.
The Music Building and the Student Union and Recreation Center, funded and constructed during McIntyre's tenure, have been recognized with national architectural awards.
During this period, the university also completed extensive renovation and restoration of the historic Kamola and Sue Lombard residence halls.
McIntyre has supported upgrades in the quality of the university's publications and outreach activities. In 2003 she launched an updated marketing plan to enhance communication with students, parents and the general public.
The Performing Arts and Presidential Speaker Series, which McIntyre initiated in 2002, has brought nationally renowned speakers and artists to Ellensburg, providing a window through which to view various ideas, cultures and art forms.
McIntyre has encouraged excellence and creativity through the Spheres of Distinction initiative, which supports innovative and resourceful approaches to academic, student and campus life.
Under McIntyre's leadership, the university began its first comprehensive fund-raising campaign, which is on target to reach its $21-million goal by this June. In addition, funding associated with grants and research has tripled since 2001 to $9.6 million.
Last September, McIntyre proposed and won support from the Board of Trustees for the creation of the CWU Research Foundation.
The foundation will enable the university to manage the significant increase in research funding and to use its expertise to serve the community in a more agile and responsive way.
"Jeri is an outstanding communicator and wonderful administrator," said trustee Leslie Jones, who has served on the board since before McIntyre came to CWU.
"These skills and her deep commitment to helping students realize their educational dreams made her the perfect president to lead CWU into the new millennium."
McIntyre notified trustees of her plans to retire in August. The board will meet Monday, to confirm the makeup of the search committee that will begin immediately to search for a new CWU president who is expected to be selected next fall and take office in January of 2009.
McIntyre said she and her husband, W. David Smith, plan to maintain a home in Ellensburg following her retirement.
Astolfi Resigns at Saint Martin's University
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President Douglas Astolfi, 64, said Friday (Oct. 19) he plans to resign effective June 30, The Daily Olympian reported in its Saturday edition.
Astolfi, who has a doctorate in history, said he wants to return to teaching and research, something he has not been able to do since becoming the Saint Martin's president in July 2005. "I've accomplished much of what I came here and sought out to do," he said. "The opportunity to return to teaching full-time is a compelling one."
Astolfi said he expects university trustees to discuss a presidential search at their next meetings Thursday and Friday.
Board president Tom Huff said the new president will face the challenge of continuing the growth that began before Astolfi came on board from Saint Leo University in Florida, where he was vice president for academic affairs.
While the board had been thinking about growth when former president David Spangler was on board, Astolfi made growth a priority. "I think Doug particularly saw for us a great opportunity for bringing new students in the campus," Huff said.
Shortly after being appointed in 2005, when about 1,100 students attended the university, Astolfi announced plans to almost double the size of the college to about 2,000 by 2010.
The growth has been at an aggressive pace, enrolling its biggest freshman class of about 250 this year. That has required renting rooms in nearby hotels and bunking underclassmen three to a room, though university officials say classroom space has been sufficient.
Today, the university has about 1,270 students on its Lacey campus, and another 650 at extension campuses at Fort Lewis, McChord Air Force Base, Centralia College, Tacoma Community College and Olympic College in Bremerton. The university also has expanded its international programs in China the past few years.
Astolfi said that with all the campuses grouped together, the university is on track to make the target. “If I stayed around until 2010, I would be a professor of history here. Or I would be watching from another university position (the person who) would get that job have the pleasure of making that target," he said.
Astolfi has spent most of his time back East, previously holding administrative positions at Siena College in New York and Clark University in Massachusetts. He replaced Spangler, who had been at the helm of Saint Martin's for about 20 years.
Astolfi said that at previous positions, he had been able to split time between the classroom and administrative duties. He has no immediate offers on the table.
"I haven't taught since I arrived here. That's one of the things that made being president very difficult," he said.
Board of trustees vice president Ken Parsons said the next president will have the same challenges Astolfi's had. "He or she has to focus on what the curriculum needs to be — whether it's in the classroom or other methods; what other facilities they need to improve," Parsons said.
Morse To Retire as WWU President
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Morse, who is beginning her 15th year as president at Western, made the announcement on campus Friday, Sept. 21, at the annual Fall Faculty Luncheon.
“Western's reputation as one of the finest universities of its kind in the country is a tribute to President Morse's leadership and vision,” said Kevin Raymond, chair of Western's Board of Trustees. “A year from now, President Morse will leave a rich legacy of outstanding service to Western. We are so grateful for all that she does on behalf of Western and higher education in the state of Washington.”
Morse has provided leadership that has fostered a collaborative student-centered academic environment; innovative faculty teaching and research; new programs, buildings and resources that enrich the learning process, and recognition of Western as one of the premier public master's-granting universities in the nation.
“I am proud I will have the opportunity to serve Western Washington University for 15 years. I care deeply about the mission of Western as an institution that provides high-quality academic opportunities,” Morse said. “The many accomplishments since I began as president are a tribute to the efforts of our faculty, staff, administration and students.”
Since Morse began her tenure as president in 1993, enrollment has grown from 9,300 to 12,100 full-time equivalent students; the number of tenured and tenure-track faculty has increased from 456 to 627. Campus infrastructure has markedly improved, with construction of new buildings such as the Chemistry, Biology and Science, Math and Technology Education buildings, the Communications Facility building, Wade King Student Recreation Center and Campus Services facility; major renovation of the Haggard library and Viking Union and current construction of the Academic Instructional Center, the largest construction project in Western's history. She also has personally led planning for expansion of Western to the Bellingham waterfront.
For several years, Morse has been in discussion with the Board of Trustees to ensure that presidential succession will take place at a time beneficial to the university as well as to Morse and her family.
“Personal considerations, including time for writing and consulting, two small grandchildren, family we don't see very often and a desire to travel while we can enjoy it, prompted me to consider a new career that includes these elements.” said Morse.
The timing for Morse's retirement from the University reflected her determination to allow for a smooth transition and to provide leadership on key initiatives, including: completion of the university's accreditation process; securing a solid Legislative budget; building on Western's fund-raising capacity; continuing planning for future development at the waterfront and completing the first contract for a faculty union. Raymond said the trustees asked that Morse, in addition to her many other duties, provide leadership for this “robust agenda.”
“I believed we would be well positioned in these areas by Sept. 1, 2008, and worked with the trustees for several years to plan retirement as president of this very fine University,” Morse said, adding that she will continue her active leadership of Western during the final year of her presidency. “The opportunity to lead Western has been and will continue to be a privilege and I expect to be active and not retired or retiring this year,” Morse said.
Morse became Western's 12th chief executive in 1993. She is a member of many higher education associations and boards, including twice serving as chair of the Council of Presidents, a voluntary organization of the presidents of the state's higher education institutions. Morse recently began a term on the American Council on Education (ACE) Commission on Women in Higher Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). She also serves on the American Association of State Colleges and Universities' Task Force on Science and Mathematics Education and its Policies and Purposes Committee, and is on the board of directors of the Whatcom Symphony, and the Bellingham Whatcom Economic Development Council.
She is a former member of the United Way Board and the Bellingham Festival of Music Board. She serves on the Puget Sound Blood Center Community Campaign Council and is a member of the Bellingham Rotary Club. In April 1997, Morse received the Francis P. Garvan-John M. Olin Award, one of the American Chemical Society's highest honors. She has published extensively in the field of chemistry and is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She came to Western from Utah State University where she was provost. She served as a professor of chemistry, head of the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, and dean of the College of Science before being named provost in 1989.
She earned her doctorate and master's degrees from the University of Michigan and her bachelor's degree from Ohio's Denison University, which awarded her an honorary degree in 1990 and recognized her as an Outstanding Alumna as well.
She is married to retired Western chemistry professor and director of Science Education Joseph G. Morse, whom she met while both were pursuing their doctorates at Michigan. The couple has two adult sons, Robert, an attorney in Washington, D.C., and Geoffrey, an assistant professor of biology at Arizona State University West and two granddaughters, Sophia and Victoria.
Hagood Resigns At Northwest Nazarene
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When Richard Hagood looks back at his 14 years as president of Northwest Nazarene University, he sees growth — more students, more facilities and higher academic standards.
On Wednesday (July 23), Hagood, who also is currently the President of the GNAC CEO Board, announced his plans for retirement from the campus where he spent nearly two-thirds of his career.
"I don't have any great career aspirations after this," said Hagood, 65. "This has been the focal point (of my career) for many years."
The board of trustees will establish a timeline for replacing Hagood at a retreat next week.
Steve Borger, board secretary, said Hagood "accomplished a phenomenal amount for the university. We'll certainly want to continue on with someone who can carry on the vision that the NNU family has."
Hagood joined the then-Northwest Nazarene College, as the vice president of institutional advancement in 1985. He became the private college's 10th president in 1993.
Hagood helped strengthen and expand the school's graduate program, going from 25 students to 500 in six disciplines. Eight buildings were built or acquired during his tenure, and plans are on the table to build a new health and science facility.
Rev. Randy Craker, chair of the trustees, also credited Hagood with the school's move to university status and growth of the endowment.
Hagood said it's a good time for NNU to make the transition to a new leader.
"NNU will be 100 years old in 2013, so the next five or six years are the run up to the centennial," he said. "This will allow the next president to build a base of support and to take another step forward (for the university) around the centennial."