July 13, 2017
Mansfield University vice president selected to serve as university’s interim president
Contact: Kevin Hensil, khensil@passhe.edu
Harrisburg – The Board of Governors of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education today selected Mansfield University of Pennsylvania Vice President of Administration and Finance Scott W.H. Barton to serve as interim president of the university beginning Aug. 19.
Mr. Barton, who came to the university in February 2016, will assume the duties of
president following the retirement of Francis L. Hendricks next month.
“The role of interim president is a vital one. It is important that an institution
maintain its momentum during the transition to new, permanent leadership,” said Board
of Governors Chair Cynthia D. Shapira. “Mr. Barton’s strong leadership will be essential
to the entire university community.”
Mr. Barton holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Florida Atlantic University
in Boca Raton, Fla., and a Master’s in Business Administration from Regis University
in Denver, Colo.
He has nearly two decades of experience as a financial administrator, in the areas
of both accounting and information technology. He previously worked as a financial
credit examiner for the state of Colorado, a bank examiner for the state of Montana
and northwest area controller for LandAmerica.
“I am honored to serve in this capacity as we work together to ensure the future of
Mansfield University is both sustainable and well-positioned to meet the needs of
the Northern Tier and all of the Commonwealth,” said Mr. Barton. “We look forward
to welcoming back our students in the Fall, and are ready for an exciting year ahead.”
Mr. Barton will serve as interim president at Mansfield until the successful conclusion
of a national search for a permanent president.
The Board of Governors is responsible for hiring university presidents within the
State System. When the need for temporary leadership at a university occurs, the chancellor—in
consultation with the chair of the Council of Trustees—makes a recommendation to the
Board of Governors, which then meets to ratify the selection. An interim president
serves as the university’s chief executive officer, with the same responsibilities
and authority as a permanent president.
“Even as we say farewell to President Hendricks and thank him for his service to the
university, we also look to the future to ensure a seamless transition in leadership,”
said Council of Trustees Chairwoman Bobbi Kilmer. “The Council and I are confident
that Scott Barton won’t miss a beat as we head into the new academic year.”
Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher
education in the Commonwealth, enrolling more than 100,000 degree-seeking students
and thousands more in certificate and other career-development programs. Collectively,
the 14 universities that comprise the State System offer more than 2,300 degree and
certificate programs in more than 530 academic areas. Nearly 520,000 State System
university alumni live in Pennsylvania.
The State System universities are Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg,
Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery
Rock and West Chester Universities of Pennsylvania. The universities also operate
branch campuses in Oil City (Clarion), Freeport and Punxsutawney (IUP), and Clearfield
(Lock Haven), and offer classes and programs at several regional centers, including
the Dixon University Center in Harrisburg and in Center City in Philadelphia.