Board Grants ‘Emeritus’ Status, Welcomes New Member
Published 02.10.2017
The Pennsylvania College of Technology Board of Directors on Thursday granted “director emeritus” status to a member who retired in December and welcomed his successor to his first meeting.
Robert A. Secor served on the board for nearly two decades – including a term as chairman in 2012-13 – before retiring last year. He had worked at Penn State for 35 years, retiring in 2004 as vice provost for academic affairs.
Secor’s successor on the board, Michael DiRaimo, participated in his first meeting following his appointment by The Corporation for Penn State. DiRaimo, who retired from Penn State in December, had led the Government Relations Office at the university since 2012.
There were no other action items considered by the board. Many of the board members participated via telephone, since the college was closed for a snow day.
The board heard an update on the college’s Middle States Periodic Review Report from Mary Jo Saxe, co-chair of the Periodic Review Committee and an associate professor of dental hygiene.
Saxe described the two-year process of compiling and editing the report. The final report, which includes six required sections, is due in June, though President Davie Jane Gilmour said it will likely be completed before faculty depart in May. Gilmour said Middle States will act upon the report in November. She credited Saxe with “an outstanding job” shepherding the work of the committee in drafting the report.
Middle States is changing the process after this year, eliminating the Periodic Review Report. The new process will feature annual assessment reports instead.
In addition, the board was apprised about changes to Policy/Procedure 4.06 (Admissions) by Carolyn R. Strickland, vice president for enrollment management/associate provost.
The policy and procedure were revised for readability purposes. Strickland said the requirement for students to take SATs for enrollment in baccalaureate majors is now more clearly stated. The language has also been updated to reflect the new SAT scoring system.
Other changes, Strickland said, include a more clearly stated process for homeschooled applicants to prove eligibility and the addition of HiSET exam eligibility requirements.
The next meeting of the Penn College Board is scheduled for April 27.