September 5, 1997- Provost for University Center Rochester Selected

Dale Bower, a State University of New York administrator, has been chosen as the first provost of the University Center Rochester, a joint program of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities and the University of Minnesota. The appointment aims to give higher education in Rochester more visibility and a more collaborative profile.

Bower, vice president for academic affairs at the SUNY College of Technology in Canton, N.Y., holds a dual position with both MnSCU and the University of Minnesota. Her appointment is subject to approval by the MnSCU Board of Trustees and the U of M Board of Regents later this month.

University Center Rochester houses higher education programs provided by two MnSCU institutions, Rochester Community and Technical College and Winona State University, as well as the University of Minnesota. The three institutions share classrooms, computing laboratories, libraries and other facilities. The decision to fund jointly the new position represents an increased commitment to University Center Rochester by the two institutions.

The provost, who will report to the MnSCU chancellor and the University of Minnesota president, will fashion an institutional identity for the center and shape programs to meet the needs of future students in southeastern Minnesota.

Bower holds five degrees from the University of Wisconsin, including a bachelor's degree in Spanish and speech and a doctorate in educational administration. She began her career as a teacher, working for nearly 20 years in a variety of jobs in such areas as human resource management and development, teacher certification and adult education, all in Wisconsin. Before taking the SUNY post, she served as district coordinator for Western Wisconsin Technical College, continuing education director for the University of Wisconsin-Center in Sheboygan and assistant vice chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside in Kenosha.

"We serve the high-technology and health care training needs of some of Minnesota's premier employers located in Rochester," said Morris Anderson, chancellor of MnSCU. "Dr. Bower will play a pivotal role in focusing both the two-year programs offered by Rochester's community college and the baccalaureate programs that Winona State and the U of M offer. This appointment represents partnership at its very best."

"The university is pleased that Dr. Bower has agreed to accept our offer to be the first provost of the University Center Rochester," said Robert Bruininks, executive vice president and provost at the University of Minnesota. She has articulated a challenging vision for both on-site and distance education that will position the Rochester center to meet the goals set forth by MnSCU, the University of Minnesota, the Rochester community and the state of Minnesota."