WEST CHESTER — A familiar face is the new West Chester University President.
Lorraine (Laurie) Bernotsky replaced Chris Fiorentino on July 1 after she was unanimously named by the board of Governors of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education as the 16th president of the university.
Bernotsky worked as executive vice president, provost, associate provost and Dean of Graduate Studies and was a Political Science professor for most of the time at WCU since 1996. For about two years she served as Interim President of Pennsylvania Western University (PennWest) as a loaned executive from WCU.
“It’s so much fun and challenging every day,” Bernotsky said about the new job. “Great things are certain to happen.”
She also said that students aged from 17 to 25 years old often ask her where she gets so much energy.
Bernotsky missed West Chester while she transitioning other schools in the Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education. Prior to that, Bernotsky held the temporary position of executive vice president and chief operating officer of PennWest.
“I’m not coming back to West Chester, I feel like I’m coming back to West Chester University with a new perspective,” the new president said.
Bernotsky is a first-generation college graduate who leads the more than 150 year old, and largest, institution within Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education.
When the opportunity opened to serve as associate provost and dean of graduate studies at West Chester
University, she competed in a national search for the role and served for several years before becoming provost in 2015.
Bernotsky successfully led the university’s Academic Affairs Division, which oversees approximately 850 faculty and is comprised of six colleges and two schools.
Executive vice president was added to Bernotsky’s role in 2017 and, as the University’s second-in-command, she also assumed leadership of the University’s budget and labor relations functions.
Bernotsky is listening to the community before making any big changes.
“I planned this fall to listen to students, faculty, staff, community neighbors, elected officials, alumni and the Council of Trustees,” she said.
The president seeks a “shared strategic mission” for West Chester University.”
Bernotsky was asked how she will tackle negative student behavior in the borough.
“There are lots of efforts underway, including the West Chester Community Campus Committee, which works to promote an increased communication and collaboration between the borough and the university,” she said. “We want to be the best neighbors we can possibly be and continue to work with neighbors.
“We have a very open communications process. We regularly meet with leaders and a leadership team.
“We talk about all kinds of issues and priorities. We are anxious to hear what’s on their minds and to facilitate the best neighborhood community partners we can be.”
Bernotsky recently overheard students saying that they enjoyed the college experience so much that they didn’t want to leave.
“I’m looking forward to interacting with students who are excited and help them fall in love with West Chester University the way I did year ago,” she said. “I’m looking forward to getting to see that.”
A social scientist, Bernotsky earned a master’s and doctorate in Politics from the University of Oxford. She also earned a master’s in Sociology from Temple University.
Source: Berkshire mont
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