Earl Potter named president-elect of St. Cloud State University

Dr. Earl H. Potter III has been named president of St. Cloud State University effective July 1.

The announcement was made March 17 by James H. McCormick, chancellor of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System, following Board of Trustees approval.

Earl H. Potter III Biographical Summary

Potter, 60, has served as executive vice president and provost at Southern Oregon State University in Ashland 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.

Potter also served in the U.S. Coast Guard from 1969 to 1993 and retired at the rank of captain. He 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.

“We’re very pleased to recommend that Earl Potter join our system’s leadership team,” McCormick said. “He brings an impressive track record of experiences and accomplishments that demonstrates he is the right person to lead St. Cloud State University in these challenging and exciting times.”

The new president will replace Roy H. Saigo, who has served as the university’s president since 2000.

St. Cloud State University, the system’s largest university, serves 19,500 students and offers 225 undergraduate and graduate programs and is part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system, which 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 130,000 students in non-credit courses.