New president selected for PennWest University
Courtesy of PASSHE
PennWest University has a new president.
Dr. Jon Anderson, who has had administrative roles at universities in Utah and Georgia, will begin leading PennWest on July 1, succeeding interim President R. Lorraine Bernotsky, who will become president of West Chester University on the same day.
The appointment of Anderson was announced Wednesday. He was selected unanimously by the board of governors of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE). Anderson was one of two finalists for the job, the other being Dr. Philip Cavalier, provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Tennessee at Martin.
Anderson will be the third president of PennWest since the university was created in 2022 by combining the campuses of California, Clarion and Edinboro universities. He is currently provost and vice president for academic affairs at Southern Utah University in Cedar City, Utah. Prior to that, Anderson was provost and vice president for academic affairs at the five-campus Middle Georgia State University, deputy provost and associate vice president at the University of West Georgia.
Anderson received a Ph.D in business administration from the University of Kentucky.
In a news release, Anderson said, “I am grateful for the opportunity to put down roots in Western Pennsylvania and help to shape the future of PennWest. The role of a regional university is to serve students and elevate communities – and PennWest lives that mission every day. I am honored to be part of its story.”
Anderson is taking the helm at PennWest at a time when enrollment on all three campuses has been steadily declining. In the fall 2023 semester, enrollment was 11,305, an 11% drop from the year before. A decade before, the combined enrollment at the three schools was 21,421. Other campuses in Pennsylvania and elsewhere have seen similar declines, with administrators pointing to demographic trends and rising costs as key culprits.
Larry Maggi, a Washington County commissioner and PennWest trustee, led the 26-member search committee that recommended Anderson to the board of governors, and he said he was most impressed by Anderson’s “enthusiasm.”
“He understood it’s a challenge,” Maggi said. “He didn’t think it was going to be easy. … He has three diverse campuses he has to consolidate.”
Cynthia Shaipra, who chairs the PASSHE’s board of governors, said Anderson is “a dynamic and innovative leader who is committed to collaborating with stakeholders across all three PennWest campuses.” Dan Greenstein, chancellor of the PASSHE, said Anderson “believes in the transformative power of an affordable college degree to break the cycle of poverty and give people the tools to succeed.”
Anderson’s salary and other contract terms are still being negotiated, according to Kevin Hensil, a spokesman for the PASSHE.