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http://www.omniture.com --> Email Story to a Friend June 10, 2006 SOU names new president By ANITA BURKE Mail Tribune ASHLAND — An administrator from a state college in Texas is Southern Oregon University's next president, the Oregon State Board of Higher Education has announced. Mary Cullinan, provost and vice president for academic affairs at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas, will take the helm Sept. 1. Her starting salary will be $171,000. She will replace retiring President Elisabeth Zinser, who has headed the Ashland university since 2001 and retires Aug. 31. The board approved Cullinan's appointment Friday morning and she was introduced to the campus community in the afternoon. "I believe you will find her to be a true champion for Southern Oregon University," said Howard Sohn, chairman of the search committee and member of the state higher education board. "She has a proven record in areas crucial to SOU's future." At Stephen F. Austin State University, Cullinan created a new administrative post to oversee student recruitment and retention, a challenge SOU also faces, Sohn said. She collaborated with community colleges in Texas on programs to encourage students to pursue four-year degrees, experience that meshes with SOU's joint project with Rogue Community College in downtown Medford. She also worked to bring stable funding to the roughly 11,000-student Texas university. "We need to increase enrollment and retention from freshmen to sophomores. That will make a huge difference in the budget. Those issues are all closely linked," she said as she described her priorities for SOU to the media. Cullinan said she had kept her eye on SOU for several years, since interviewing for the job of provost here three years ago when Earl H. Potter III was hired for that job. Potter was a finalist to become president this year along with Peter Hoff, a professor and former president of the University of Maine-Orno. "The board is building a team with Earl Potter as a very key player that will make the university successful," said George Pernsteiner, chancellor of the Oregon University System. "The board is interested in building a future for this university and focused on a team approach." Praise for Potter was met with a long round of applause. After the announcement, Kemble Yates, a math professor and chairman of the faculty Senate, said Potter was a popular choice on campus, where his familiarity with issues facing the university is appreciated. However, people also recognized that "true change is good" and can be easier for a new face who wasn't closely associated with the previous administration, Yates said. "All three candidates had strengths and I'm very pleased with the selection," he said. "I think the university is headed in the right direction." Yates said he was particularly pleased with Cullinan's record of working with all parts of a campus community, and he hoped she and Potter could work together in a team that combined new ideas with the expertise of familiarity. "The board believes Mary and I can be good partners," Potter said. "George and Howard described it very well." Potter, who is provost and executive vice president, said he had taken on "more presidential duties" since Zinser announced her retirement plans late last year. "Now I can focus on leading internal relations better," he said. Potter said he has been approached by executive search firms in the past and has always told them that he is committed to SOU. After finishing the academic year in Nacogdoches, Cullinan plans to return to Ashland in July to start getting to know the university, the people and the surrounding communities. "I have some good experience and a steep learning curve," she said. "We have some work ahead of us. "We must make sure this is a university for all of Southern Oregon." Reach reporter Anita Burke at 776-4485 or at [email protected] Advertisement s Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Discount Hotel Reservations --> online casinos news Ashley Furniture HomeStore Send Flowers California Casinos GMAT Prep Windermere Van Vleet Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Entertainment Guide --> Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada Online Pharmacy