A Tyrone native and Juniata College graduate has been selected to serve as Shippensburg University’s interim president effective July 1.
The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education’s Board of Governors chose Dr. Jody Harpster, who has been a vice president at Shippensburg for nearly 10 years, to succeed on an interim basis retiring president Anthony F. Ceddia. Ceddia, who has lead the institution since 1981, plans to retire at the end of June.
Harpster will serve as the university’s interim president until at least December 2006.
Harpster, in a telephone interview with The Daily Herald, said he does not view his “interim” status as being caretaker.
“I have a lot of work to do and my goal is to keep this university on course,” said Harpster. “While I am to get us through the next 18 months, I do not intend to sit back and let things ride.”
The search for a permanent president, which began late last summer, has been halted. A new search will begin in late summer 2006.
Harpster said one of the rules of the Board of Governors is that he (Harpster) will not be permitted to be a candidate for the permanent president’s position.
“Although I had to think about that restriction, I believe this is the best way to serve the university, even though it meant I can’t apply.”
Harpster said he was “very proud to have the opportunity” to serve as the interim president.
Harpster, 55, is a 1968 graduate of Tyrone Area High School and a 1972 graduate of Juniata College. Harpster also holds degrees from Shippensburg and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
“I believe I had extraordinary preparation for this job because of those teachers I had at Tyrone High and the professors at Juniata College,” he said. “A lot of people were committed to my success. I was the recipient of dedicated service by those educators and want to give them credit.”
Dr. Harpster was named vice president for student affairs at Shippensburg University in 1995. He previously was dean of students and assistant vice chancellor for student affairs at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte from 1987 to 1995. He began his career in student affairs while attending Shippensburg University as a graduate student from 1972 to 1974.
