Communications

Dear PennWest Community,

I’m pleased to share that the Council of Trustees approved the PennWest Presidential Search Committee’s recommendation of Dr. Jon Anderson, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs/Professor at Southern Utah University (Cedar City, Utah), and Dr. Philip Cavalier, Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of Tennessee at Martin (Martin, Tennessee) for submission to the Chancellor and Board of Governors, which will appoint the university’s next president.

The active participation of students, faculty, staff, and the broader community has been integral to this process. We are grateful for the active engagement of the Committee, the campus, and the California, Clarion and Edinboro communities and extend our sincere appreciate for their valuable contributions.

To understand the diverse needs of PennWest’s three campuses, Greenwood Asher – our search consultants – conducted more than a dozen in-person and virtual listening sessions, administered surveys to the PennWest Community, facilitated an email input process, and interviewed external stakeholders.

Through the listening sessions, the university community emphasized that PennWest needs a president who possesses exceptional communication skills and will be a collaborative and visible servant-leader. You called for a president who would demonstrate a strong commitment to community and culture and be a champion of public higher education. You emphasized that our next president must support shared governance and exhibit an unwavering dedication to student success. You also shared the next president should possess the expertise to drive institutional growth and ensure fiscal sustainability through effective collaboration with stakeholders across all three campuses.

From an outstanding candidate pool, Dr. Jon Anderson and Dr. Philip Cavalier emerged as the two candidates who best embody these traits and values and are best positioned to build upon the progress we have made. Both candidates possess the leadership, financial acumen, and academic background necessary to further enhance the strengths of PennWest, advance our journey toward financial sustainability, and actualize our collective vision of the future.

Dr. Jon Anderson is the Provost and VP for Academic Affairs at Southern Utah University (SUU). He oversees a $85M budget, 550 full-time staff, and 400+ adjunct instructors. Under his leadership, SUU has boosted enrollment, launched its first doctoral program, and expanded degree offerings. Prior to his current role, he served as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Middle Georgia State University and the University of West Georgia, which has five physical campuses and an online division. He also has held administrative positions at the University of West Georgia, where he was Deputy Provost and Associate Vice President, and at the University of Kentucky. Anderson holds a Ph.D. in Business Administration from the University of Kentucky, an M.Ed. from the University of West Georgia, a B.S. from Utah State University, and an A.A.S. from Ricks College.

Dr. Philip Cavalier is Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of Tennessee at Martin (UTM), where he served as Interim Chancellor from March through August 2023. UTM is a primary regional university in the University of Tennessee System with about 6,800 students; it includes a main campus, five regional centers, and an online division. Prior to joining UTM, Cavalier was Provost and Vice President of Academic Services at Lyon College (Ark.), Provost and Dean of the College at Eureka College (Ill.), and Dean of General Education at Catawba College (N.C.). He earned a Ph.D. in English from the State University of New York at Buffalo; an M.A. in English at Northeastern University; and a B.A. in Economics at Swarthmore College.

It is anticipated the system-level interviews will be conducted in the coming weeks, so the new president can be appointed by the Board of Governors later this month, in time for a July 1 start. We will continue to keep you updated on the process.

We thank you for your participation and insights during the process.

Kathy L. Pape, Esq.
Chair, PennWest Council of Trustees

‍

Dear PennWest:

The Presidential Search Committee seeks your input and insights as we embark on the search for our next university president.

In order to ensure that the search committee hears from all members of our community, Greenwood Asher & Associates — our official search consultants led by Jim Johnsen and Julie Holley — will facilitate a series of listening sessions at all three PennWest primary campuses. These sessions will provide an opportunity for faculty, staff, students, alumni, and other stakeholders to share their thoughts, expectations, and aspirations for our university’s next leader. Specifically, feedback to the following questions:

What personal qualities, skills and abilities will be important for the president?

What are the key challenges and opportunities for the role?

What does the President need to accomplish in the next 1 to 3 years and the next 3 to 5 years?

What do you want prospective candidates to know about PennWest?

What are your points of pride? What brought you to PennWest? What keeps you here?

The listening sessions will begin next week and to ensure widespread participation, will take place both in-person and virtually at each of our three campuses. Your participation is highly encouraged as we seek to gather diverse perspectives and engage in meaningful dialogue. Your input will help inform the criteria and qualifications we prioritize in our presidential search, which will include staying the course on our path to financial sustainability.

Thank you in advance for your participation and contributions to this important process. Should you have any questions or require further information, please do not hesitate to reach out.

The search process can be tracked by visiting the Presidential Search website at https://www.pennwest.edu/president-search.

Best Regards,

Larry Maggi

Listening Sessions

Please limit attendance to one session through the process to give as many faculty, staff, and students a chance to engage. If you cannot attend the listening sessions, please feel free to email your responses to the 5 above questions to presidentsearch@pennwest.edu.

Student Listening Sessions

Session #1 – Clarion Campus
‍Wednesday, February 21, 2024 | 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Gemmell Student Center, Multipurpose Room

Session# 2 – Edinboro Campus
Wednesday, February 21, 2024 | 5:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m.
Van Houten North

Session# 3 – California Campus
Thursday, February 22, 2024 | 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Natali Student Center, Performance Center

‍

Faculty Listening Sessions

‍Session #1 – Clarion Campus
‍Wednesday, February 21, 2024 9:00 a.m.–10:00 a.m.
Gemmell Student Center, Multipurpose Room

Session# 2 – Edinboro Campus
‍Wednesday, February 21, 2024 | 3:45 p.m.–4:45 p.m.
Van Houten North

Session# 3 – California Campus
Thursday, February 22, 2024 | 9:00 a.m.–10:00 a.m.
Natali Student Center, Performance Center

‍

Staff Listening Sessions

‍Session #1 – Clarion Campus
Wednesday, February 21, 2024 | 10:15 a.m.–11:15 a.m.
Gemmell Student Center, Multipurpose Room

Session# 2 – Edinboro Campus
Wednesday, February 21, 2024 | 2:30 p.m.–3:30 p.m.
Van Houten North

Session# 3 – California Campus
Thursday, February 22, 2024 | 10:15 a.m.–11:15 a.m.
Natali Student Center, Performance Center

‍

Additional Listening Sessions

Session #1 – Shared Governance Leaders
Friday, February 23, 2024 | 9:00 a.m.–10:00 a.m.
Zoom Meeting ID: 954 6566 5957
Click Here to Join

Session# 2 – Foundation and Alumni Associations

Friday, February 23, 2024 | 10:15 a.m.–11:15 a.m.
Zoom Meeting ID: 990 8734 1308
Click Here to Join

Session# 3 – Business and Community Leaders
Friday, February 23, 2024 | 1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m.
Zoom Meeting ID: 983 7799 8638
Click Here to Join

Session# 4 – Open Session (Faculty, Staff, Students)
Friday, February 23, 2024 | 2:15 p.m.–3:15 p.m.
Zoom Meeting ID: 993 4139 1128
Click Here to Join

‍

Dear PennWest Community,

Today, the PennWest Council of Trustees approved the members of the Presidential Search Committee and charged the Committee in accordance with PASSHE Procedure/Standard Number 2021-50.

I am pleased to share that the following individuals have been approved as members of the PennWest University Presidential Search Committee, which will be chaired by Trustee Larry Maggi:

Dr. Dan Bennett
Associate Professor, Edinboro

Paul Bliss
Administrative Assistant I, Edinboro

Lydia Brown
Clerical Assistant 3, Clarion

Sheleta Camarda-Webb
Interim Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer (non-voting member)

Sydney Cochran
Corresponding Secretary, California Student Government Association

C.J. DeJuliis
Senior Learning Technology Analyst, California

Dr. Philomena Gill
Executive Director, Academic and Student Success, Edinboro

Dr. Randy Goin Jr.
Deputy Chancellor, PASSHE (non-voting member)

Jennifer Graham
Assistant Vice President, Residence Life and Housing, Clarion

Justin James
Development Officer, California

Danny Jones
Trustee

Lauren Kostosky
Vice President, Clarion Student Senate

Larry Maggi
Trustee, Search Committee Chair

Sean McDonald
Clarion Alumni Association

Hope Nation
President, Edinboro Black Student Union Association

Dr. Jamie Phillips
Professor, Clarion

Larry Pickett
Trustee

Tereasa Rerko
California Alumni Association

Dr. Candice Riley
Associate Professor, California

Dr. Karen Riley
President, Slippery Rock University (non-voting member)

Dr. Jaime L. Russell
Edinboro Alumni Association

Dr. Cindy Shapira
Chair, PASSHE Board of Governors

Dr. Wendy Snodgrass
Athletic Director, Clarion

Dr. Lee Williams
Associate Professor, Edinboro

Michael Zema
Assistant Professor, California

The inclusive composition of this search committee reflects the extensive and diverse reach of our three campuses. The committee members possess the expertise and capabilities necessary to represent the community as we select our next president.

The Council also charged the Presidential Search Committee in accordance with PASSHE policy, which includes gathering input from students, faculty, staff, and alumni who reflect the diversity of PennWest after which a PennWest University president’s profile will be developed. The profile will serve as the benchmark against which candidates will be assessed. Candidates will be screened by the Committee and the process will include interviews, open forums, and presentations as opportunities for the campus community to engage with candidates.

After the Presidential Search Committee has reviewed input from students, faculty, staff, alumni, and other stakeholders from each campus, they are charged with making a recommendation to the Council of Trustees, which is required to approve two candidates for submission to the Chancellor and Board of Governors, which will appoint the University’s next president.

Thank you for your patience as we very carefully and deliberately selected the members of the committee to do our best to be sure that every voice will be heard as we select our next leader.

Your input is extremely important as we move through the next steps of the presidential search process. Please seek out the members of the Committee to be sure that your views are considered.

Kathy L. Pape, Esq.
Chair, PennWest Council of Trustees

‍

Dear PennWest Community:

A critical component of the success of PennWest is the search for a permanent president.

While the Board of Governors—in consultation with the Chancellor—ultimately appoints the president, the search process is primarily driven at the university level, and rightly so because it is our students, faculty, staff, trustees, alumni and friends who will work most closely with whomever is chosen to fill the role.
‍
I am pleased to report that the Chancellor has granted the Council of Trustees authorization to initiate the search process. According to the state system governing law, the Council has responsibility to “make recommendations to the Chancellor for the appointment of the president following input by students, faculty, staff and alumni who reflect the diversity of the institution,” and we take that duty seriously.
‍

We will begin by appointing a search committee that is representative of our unique three-campus community and its diverse range of stakeholders. The search committee, which will be chaired by Trustee Larry Maggi, will gather input from students, faculty, staff, alumni and other stakeholders from each campus and will make its recommendation to the Council of Trustees, which in turn will consider the recommendation and send its choice to the Chancellor and Board of Governors. It is the Board of Governors that is responsible for appointing the University’s next president from the “name or names of individuals submitted by the council of trustees.”
‍
We will now begin the work of constituting the Presidential Search Committee by identifying members according to PASSHE procedures. The search committee will consist of a mix of students, faculty, staff, alumni and others, and I will be reaching out to the appropriate representative groups that are tasked with identifying some of those members from each campus. We realize that the PennWest presidential search is unique among state system presidential searches, not only because of our three geographically diverse campuses, but also because we are in the process of implementing a plan for long term sustainability of our integrated university. To recognize the uniqueness of our search, we have requested and received a waiver from the Chancellor to make our search committee broader to reflect and reach our three campuses and to ensure that all voices are heard and considered.
‍
I also want to share that last week, the West Chester University Council of Trustees voted to forward Dr. Laurie Bernotsky as the sole candidate for the position of president of West Chester University to the chancellor for a vote by the PASSHE Board of Governors. It is anticipated that the BOG vote will be in mid-December. If Dr. Bernotsky were to be approved by the BOG, her new role would begin on July 1, 2024.

We look forward to beginning the presidential search process and working together to craft the next chapter in the life of PennWest.

Sincerely,
Kathy L. Pape
Chair
Council of Trustees

‍

Dear PennWest Community,

As we begin our second fiscal year as a unified PennWest, it is important that we continue to plan for the future. Part of that long-range planning includes laying the foundation for selecting a permanent president. As many of us know, the process can take a year or more, and many stakeholders are involved. Laurie Bernotsky and her team are doing yeoman’s work to stabilize PennWest both financially and operationally, and it makes sense for us to begin preparation for this next step.

You should also know that the West Chester University Council of Trustees will soon begin its search for a new president, and Laurie has been invited to apply as the sole candidate in the first phase of WCU’s search. If Laurie applies and is selected, her new role would begin on July 1, 2024. If not, the West Chester process will continue as a national search.

It’s no surprise that WCU would approach Laurie about this opportunity given her long and successful history with the university. While we cannot predict the outcome of that decision, we do control our own destiny and are taking the steps necessary to plan for the future. Regardless of the WCU search process, we know that Laurie and her team will continue to lead PennWest at least through June 2024. That provides us with a long runway to undertake a presidential search in a thoughtful manner, which has always been our plan.

PennWest has made significant progress in these last 10 months, and we have a very promising year ahead. We are on a path to exceed our fall enrollment projections, we are securing significant structural debt relief, and we’ve met our milestones for personnel and operating budgets to launch the new academic/fiscal year. Importantly, Laurie has developed her team and the PennWest processes to make success within reach.

By June 30, 2024, we will have our action plan in place to ensure the continued success of PennWest on our path to financial sustainability. Importantly, that plan will be our university’s roadmap to the future and will guide our decision-making for years to come—enabling us to stay on course, even as people come and go. Additionally, we have a continuing commitment from the State System to provide the supports we need to bring our plan to fruition. We are grateful to Laurie for her continued leadership and commitment to PennWest this year as we finalize the action plan.

In the coming weeks and months, we will communicate more about the search process, which includes engaging a professional search firm and gathering input from students, faculty, and staff to develop a leadership profile for our next president. We will work collaboratively with each of the campuses and with our shared governance leaders to ensure that the search for our permanent president generates candidates who will continue to build on the strengths of PennWest and help us realize our shared vision for the future.

We look forward to all that PennWest will accomplish this year to continue to strengthen our identity and our financial sustainability, both of which will move us down the path to a thriving institution, to provide a rich experience and successful futures for our students.

Yours,

Kathy Pape

Chair, PennWest Council of Trustees

‍

Presidential Search Communications