December 06, 2011

PASSHE Board of Governors names interim president for Mansfield University

Contact: Kevin Hensil, khensil@passhe.edu

Harrisburg – The Board of Governors of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) today appointed Dr. Allan J. Golden interim president of Mansfield University of Pennsylvania, effective December 18.
Dr. Golden, who has served as interim vice president for finance and administration at Mansfield since February, will serve as interim president until a new, permanent president is hired. A search committee will be appointed by the university’s Council of Trustees to identify and interview potential candidates. The Board of Governors will make the final selection.
“I am confident Dr. Golden will provide excellent leadership to Mansfield University,” said Board of Governors Vice Chairman Aaron A. Walton. “He is familiar with the institution, and with PASSHE, having a long tenure with the State System. That experience will be essential as he guides the university during this period of transition.”
Dr. Maravene Loeschke, who has served as president of Mansfield University since July 2006, announced earlier this year she would leave the university at the end of the fall semester to become president of Towson University in Maryland, her alma mater.
Dr. Golden spent nearly 28 years as a senior administrator at California University of Pennsylvania before retiring in late 2009. He came to Cal U. as vice president for administrative affairs after serving as vice president for administration and finance at Essex County College in Newark, New Jersey.
He previously served as an assistant dean of business affairs at Baruch College of the City University of New York (CUNY), executive assistant to the vice chancellor for administration at CUNY and as assistant to the dean of administration at Hostos Community College. Dr. Golden began his professional career as a middle and high school social studies and English teacher.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in American history and government and a master’s degree in social studies, both from Fairleigh Dickinson University, and a Ph.D. in higher education administration from New York University.
The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth, with nearly 120,000 students. The 14 PASSHE universities offer degree and certificate programs in more than 120 areas of study. About 500,000 PASSHE alumni live and work in Pennsylvania.
The state-owned universities are Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock and West Chester Universities of Pennsylvania. PASSHE also operates branch campuses in Clearfield, Freeport, Oil City and Punxsutawney and several regional centers, including the Dixon University Center in Harrisburg.