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Post by SICguy84 on May 6, 2014 13:34:26 GMT -5
Dear Members of the La Salle University Community,
I am delighted to announce the appointment of James P. Gallagher, Ph.D., as Interim President of La Salle University. Dr. Gallagher is an extremely respected, seasoned University president and accomplished academic leader who is ideally suited to lead La Salle. In addition to his ongoing responsibilities as Interim President, I have asked Dr. Gallagher to assist me by playing a major role in the search for the 29th President of La Salle and to participate in the further development of the University’s strategic plan.
Dr. Gallagher is widely known nationally and regionally for his educational administration and leadership. During his 23-year tenure as President of Philadelphia University, he successfully guided the school through a major transformation from Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science to Philadelphia University. He more than quadrupled the University’s applications for admission, expanded its academic offerings, constructed state-of-the-art facilities, significantly increased its endowment, and raised its national and international profile as a quality institution of higher learning.
Prior to his time at Philadelphia University, Dr. Gallagher was President of Mount Aloysius College in Cresson, Pa. Today’s appointment marks the second time he has led an institution of higher learning in an interim capacity, having served as Interim President of Arcadia University in 2011.
Dr. Gallagher’s leadership has also been felt at the state level. He is a former Chair of the Pennsylvania Board of Education, a position he held for nearly a decade, and is a former Commissioner of Higher Education for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He also served as a member of the Philadelphia School Reform Commission for several years and is a former trustee of The American University of Rome.
Dr. Gallagher holds a Ph.D. in higher education from The Catholic University of America. He completed post-doctoral studies at Yale University’s School of Management and the Institute for Educational Management at Harvard University. He earned a Bachelor of Science from St. Francis College in Pennsylvania and a Master of Education from Duquesne University.
Please join me in welcoming Dr. Gallagher to the La Salle community.
Sincerely,
William R. Sautter, CPA, ’71
Chair, La Salle University Board of Trustees
La Salle university logo
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Post by theneumann64 on May 6, 2014 15:13:48 GMT -5
Seems like a good move. I can't find myself getting extremely passionate about an Interim President one way or another, but he certainly seems very capable.
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Post by belfieldhappyhour on May 6, 2014 15:55:22 GMT -5
Very capable indeed. Wonder why he wouldn't be a serious candidate to get job full time?
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Post by MisterD on May 6, 2014 16:05:48 GMT -5
He's 73?
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Post by explorerman on May 6, 2014 16:29:55 GMT -5
Kicking the can down the road for another year.. An interim president will not make the direction changing decisions that are frankly needed at the school right now..
La Salle needs to clean house of the search committee leadership and employ a new professional executive search firm.
La Salle can not afford to go through this embarrassment again.
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Post by lasalle69bestever on May 6, 2014 17:36:22 GMT -5
Kicking the can down the road for another year.. An interim president will not make the direction changing decisions that are frankly needed at the school right now.. La Salle needs to clean house of the search committee leadership and employ a new professional executive search firm. La Salle can not afford to go through this embarrassment again. Agreed. |
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Post by durenduren on May 6, 2014 19:34:36 GMT -5
That's a pretty good looking 73. |
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Post by coachd on May 7, 2014 8:25:01 GMT -5
Kicking the can down the road for another year.. An interim president will not make the direction changing decisions that are frankly needed at the school right now.. La Salle needs to clean house of the search committee leadership and employ a new professional executive search firm. La Salle can not afford to go through this embarrassment again. Great thinking but the Trustees don't "get it". They keep doing the same things over and over and expect to see different results! |
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Post by MisterD on May 7, 2014 8:36:50 GMT -5
That doesn't even make sense. How is hiring an interim for the first time, atleast in decades, the "same thing"?
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Post by golasalle on May 7, 2014 8:43:51 GMT -5
Kicking the can down the road for another year.. An interim president will not make the direction changing decisions that are frankly needed at the school right now.. La Salle needs to clean house of the search committee leadership and employ a new professional executive search firm. La Salle can not afford to go through this embarrassment again. I hashed this out in the other president search thread but I don't understand why you and others continue to refer to this as an "embarrassment." We identified the candidate after an extensive search and by all accounts she looked like a very strong candidate and was offered the job. Pretty much a perfect storm of circumstances resulted in her employer at the time (who obviously valued her very highly) offering her the president's position where she is working in the town where she grew up. Out of a sense of loyalty or not having to leave home, she turned us down. The whole thing with the RMU guy was not La Salle's doing. Pretty sure it happened to Penn a number of years ago. Unless you feel that they should have physically forced her to take the job or that all involved should have been prescient, calling it an embarrassment is just looking for blame. |
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Post by MisterD on May 7, 2014 8:58:10 GMT -5
Right. The flipside here is hiring someone you aren't sold on just to make a STRONG DECISIVE HIRE and risking screwing up the university for the foreseeable future. An interim with a very strong (so far as I've read) track record is the worst case scenario if you're the type who always has a dozen worst case scenarios on hand.
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Post by explorerman on May 7, 2014 8:58:27 GMT -5
Kicking the can down the road for another year.. An interim president will not make the direction changing decisions that are frankly needed at the school right now.. La Salle needs to clean house of the search committee leadership and employ a new professional executive search firm. La Salle can not afford to go through this embarrassment again. I hashed this out in the other president search thread but I don't understand why you and others continue to refer to this as an "embarrassment." We identified the candidate after an extensive search and by all accounts she looked like a very strong candidate and was offered the job. Pretty much a perfect storm of circumstances resulted in her employer at the time (who obviously valued her very highly) offering her the president's position where she is working in the town where she grew up. Out of a sense of loyalty or not having to leave home, she turned us down. The whole thing with the RMU guy was not La Salle's doing. Pretty sure it happened to Penn a number of years ago. Unless you feel that they should have physically forced her to take the job or that all involved should have been prescient, calling it an embarrassment is just looking for blame. No offense, you can continue to hash this out, it doesn't change anything.. I hate to play this card and be that guy.. But when you aren't in the know it seems better than what it is... I wish I could share, I really wish I could but I can say I don't think she was really qualified anyways and that opinion is shared by many in leadership councils affiliated with La Salle.. |
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Post by MisterD on May 7, 2014 9:07:08 GMT -5
Without giving away all the secrets ... aren't these two separate issues? You were mad about about an interim which would seem like a good option if you hated the full time option that didn't work out.
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Post by golasalle on May 7, 2014 9:11:23 GMT -5
I hashed this out in the other president search thread but I don't understand why you and others continue to refer to this as an "embarrassment." We identified the candidate after an extensive search and by all accounts she looked like a very strong candidate and was offered the job. Pretty much a perfect storm of circumstances resulted in her employer at the time (who obviously valued her very highly) offering her the president's position where she is working in the town where she grew up. Out of a sense of loyalty or not having to leave home, she turned us down. The whole thing with the RMU guy was not La Salle's doing. Pretty sure it happened to Penn a number of years ago. Unless you feel that they should have physically forced her to take the job or that all involved should have been prescient, calling it an embarrassment is just looking for blame. No offense, you can continue to hash this out, it doesn't change anything.. I hate to play this card and be that guy.. But when you aren't in the know it seems better than what it is... I wish I could share, I really wish I could but I can say I don't think she was really qualified anyways and that opinion is shared by many in leadership councils affiliated with La Salle.. You have no freaking clue about what I know. I will leave it at that. This was not an embarrassment unless you have a very wide definition of that word. Different story if you did not like the candidate. That is your opinion. |
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Post by durenduren on May 7, 2014 9:56:38 GMT -5
Right. The flipside here is hiring someone you aren't sold on just to make a STRONG DECISIVE HIRE and risking screwing up the university for the foreseeable future. An interim with a very strong (so far as I've read) track record is the worst case scenario if you're the type who always has a dozen worst case scenarios on hand. not sure why this is being overlooked. I can't hate going interim when it was public knowledge that any permanent hire wouldn't have been their first choice. |
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Post by SICguy84 on May 7, 2014 10:26:05 GMT -5
Gallagher > The candidate from Doc Denim's alma mater.
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Post by glorydays on May 7, 2014 12:23:34 GMT -5
73 isn't that old. Take away the interim tag and let the man lead.
John 23rd became Pope at 76. Reagan carried 49 states when he was 74.
(OK, I wouldn't trade birth certificates with the man but I am catching up to him.)
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Post by Deleted on May 8, 2014 14:13:49 GMT -5
This decision isn't about age. He's retired from two schools already now and we'll be #3. He sounds like a great fit on an interim-only basis, and La Salle made it clear that an interim hire wasn't about auditioning for the job permanently. Interims like that are often tainted by worry over their job security, and may succumb to people pleasing and campaigning for reselection instead of doing the work that needs to get done.
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Post by glorydays on May 9, 2014 5:34:31 GMT -5
This decision isn't about age. He's retired from two schools already now and we'll be #3. He sounds like a great fit on an interim-only basis, and La Salle made it clear that an interim hire wasn't about auditioning for the job permanently. Interims like that are often tainted by worry over their job security, and may succumb to people pleasing and campaigning for reselection instead of doing the work that needs to get done. That is a good point, hykos. The point I was trying to make but didn't was that we shouldn't want a do nothing caretaker because the leadership will be of a short duration. We shouldn't want that, the University shouldn't want that and I am sure Gallagher doesn't just want to keep the seat warm for the next President. |
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Post by coqui900 on May 9, 2014 11:39:57 GMT -5
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Post by lsubluegold on May 12, 2014 6:13:58 GMT -5
What was the final total this year? Four candidates that turned the position down??? What a horrible embarrassment for La Salle University
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Post by golasalle on May 12, 2014 7:58:02 GMT -5
What was the final total this year? Four candidates that turned the position down??? What a horrible embarrassment for La Salle University *Sigh* I give up. |
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Post by MisterD on May 12, 2014 8:14:01 GMT -5
If that first post is any indication, you're going to be a valuable addition to the board! Welcome!
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Post by theneumann64 on May 12, 2014 8:56:48 GMT -5
I turned it down once I realized I wasn't going to be offered it as well. So five. Pathetic!!!!!
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Post by coachd on Jun 3, 2014 12:21:45 GMT -5
You just can't sit in the front row without your rain gear when Gallagher is on the stage.
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Post by MisterD on Jun 3, 2014 12:41:45 GMT -5
22 days, 3 hours, 26 minutes later, that's the joke we get.
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