Celebrated Dean Begins Presidency At WestConn

DANBURY — James W Schmotter, 56, a highly regarded business school dean noted for his outstanding communication skills, was officially became the eighth president of Western Connecticut State University in Danbury on August 1.

Dr Schmotter, who was officially named president by the Connecticut State University (CSU) board of trustees, succeeds James R Roach.

Mr Roach had served as president of WestConn since 1992. He retired at the end of the 2003-04 academic year.

“We are very pleased to welcome Jim to the Connecticut State University system,” said Lawrence D McHugh, chairman of the CSU board of trustees, during an induction ceremony on June 14. Mr McHugh noted that Dr Schmotter was chosen out of more than 115 applicants during the board’s nationwide search.

 “He’s an outstanding teacher and a gifted administrator who will undoubtedly prove to be an exceptional president as he guides WestConn during this period of unprecedented growth and improvement,” Mr McHugh said.

“But, most importantly,” he continued, “he is a person who is focused on the needs and interests of students, and I believe it is this quality that will truly distinguish his presidency.”

Dr Schmotter was previously the dean of the Haworth College of Business and a professor of management at Western Michigan University (WMU). Haworth Is one of the largest business schools in the United States, with about 5,600 undergraduates and about 600 MBA students.

Dr Schmotter became a member of the WMU faculty in 1997 after serving for five years as the dean of the College of Business and Economics at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Penn.

Dr Schmotter began his career at the State University of New York at Binghamton before moving to the Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell, where he served as both assistant and associate dean from 1997 through 1992. He was responsible for admissions, external relations, and international programs.

Dr Schmotter received a bachelor of arts in history from Muskingum College in 1969. He received his PhD four years later in history from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., where his dissertation focused on colonial ministers in New England. He subsequently did graduate coursework in higher education administration at Columbia University in New York, N.Y.