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St. Cloud State University

St. Cloud State University

President Earl H. Potter III
Office of the President

Biography

Earl H. Potter III, President

Dr. Earl H. Potter III was appointed St. Cloud State University’s 22nd president by the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees, effective July 1, 2007.

President Potter was attracted to Minnesota’s second largest university because it offers an affordable, high-quality education and well-rounded college experience for students who hail from Minnesota and around the world. Under his leadership and a strong commitment to student success, academic distinction, global education, diversity, and community partnerships, the state’s most widely accredited undergraduate university will move forward as the flagship of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.

St. Cloud State’s newest president came from Southern Oregon University in Ashland, where he had served as executive vice president and provost since 2003. Previously, he was dean of the College of Business at Eastern Michigan University; dean of the School of Management at Lesley University; director for organizational development and employment services at Cornell University; associate dean for academics at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy; a fellow for the American Council on Education in the Office of the Chancellor at the University of Colorado; and chief negotiator for management and head of the Department of Economics and Management at the U. S. Coast Guard Academy.

President Potter holds a Ph.D. in organizational psychology and a master's degree in psychology, both from the University of Washington; and a bachelor's degree in psychology with honors from Williams College. He also served in the U.S. Coast Guard from 1969 to 1993 and retired at the rank of captain.

EDUCATION

Ph.D. University of Washington, 1978
Organizational Psychology
M.S. University of Washington, 1977
Psychology
B.A. Williams College, 1968
Psychology (with Honors)

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

2007 - President, St. Cloud State University.
2003 - 2007 Executive Vice President and Provost, Southern Oregon University.
2000 - 2003 Professor and Dean, College of Business, Eastern Michigan University.
1997 - 2000 Professor and Dean, School of Management, Lesley University.
1/97 - 6/97 Director, Organizational Development and Employment Services, Cornell University.
1994 - 1996 Director, Organizational Development and Educational Service, Cornell University.
1993 - 1994 Director, Organizational Development Services, Cornell  University.
1991 - 1993 Associate Dean for Academics,  U.S. Coast Guard Academy.
1988 - 1990
1990 - 1991
Fellow, American Council on Education, Office of the Chancellor, (Sabbatical Assignment) University of Colorado, Boulder, CO.
1985 - 1987 Chief Negotiator for Management vis-à-vis Faculty Union,
(Concurrent Assignment) U.S. Coast Guard Academy.
1985 - 1988 Head, Department of Economics and Management, U.S. Coast
Guard Academy.

MILITARY SERVICE

1969 - 1993 United States Coast Guard, Retired 1993 at the rank of Captain (O-6).

ADDITIONAL MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE

1970 - 1977 Operations Officer; Personnel Officer; Chief, Recruiting and Training for U.S. Coast Guard commands in Alaska, Antarctica & Pacific Northwest.