October 25, 2007

William Lowe recommended to be interim president of Metropolitan State University

Contact: Melinda Voss, (651) 296-9443, melinda.voss@so.mnscu.edu

Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Chancellor James H. McCormick will recommend that William Lowe, provost and vice president of Metropolitan State University, serve as interim president of Metropolitan State.

The Board of Trustees is expected to act on the chancellor's recommendation at its Wednesday, Oct. 31 meeting. Until then, Lowe will serve as acting president, beginning Friday. Lowe replaces Wilson Bradshaw, who resigned to become president of Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, Fla.

Before becoming chief academic officer at Metropolitan State, Lowe served as vice president for academic affairs at The College of Saint Rose in Albany, N.Y.; dean of the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Detroit Mercy; and dean of graduate studies at Chicago State University. He is also a professor of history and holds a doctorate in modern history from Trinity College in Dublin.

A search committee for a new president of Metropolitan State University has begun its work. Chaired by Richard Davenport, president of Minnesota State University, Mankato, the committee expects to recommend a candidate to the chancellor during the spring of 2008.

The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system comprises 32 state universities and community and technical colleges serving the higher education needs of Minnesota. The system serves about 240,000 students per year in credit-based courses and an additional 135,000 students in non-credit courses.