Board of Trustees Grants Kaplan President Emeritus Status

At a board meeting Monday night, the Board of Trustees accepted President Sheila Kaplan's resignation effective July 2003, granting her president emeritus status. The board granted Kaplan a one-year sabbatical, during which time she will provide administrative consulting and prepare for a return to teaching history.

"We all owe Sheila a great deal," board chairman Bruce Benson said. "She came here in tough times 10 years ago, brought order and has taken the campus way up."

No decision was made on the appointment of an interim president, but Benson indicated that the board plans to have one named by July 1. Also before the end of the month, the board plans to choose a search firm to conduct a nationwide presidential search.

"We'll be looking for non-traditional people," Benson said. "We're not a normal campus. The person who comes here will have to understand that."