pennState
CAPITAL TIMES
Vol. 25, No. 9
Counselor resigns after 18 years
John Rudy
Capital Times Staff
Edward S. Beck is resigning this
month after more than 18 years of
counseling and teaching at Penn State
Harrisburg, moving full-time into the
private sector as a counseling
professional.
"I felt that my responsibilities were
limited and it was no secret that I was
looking for more responsibility," Beck
said. "I felt that the college's
administrative climate did not allow me
to maximize my potential.
"It was a tough call. I have a great
affection for Penn State Harrisburg. I
enjoyed the job, but felt that if I was
going to grow professionally, I'd have to
leave," he said.
Beck submitted his resignation Feb.
27, which will become effective March
31. He left the campus this week to use
up his vacation time.
Beck will move to the Susquehanna
Institute for Mental Health, Education
and Consultation, supervising and
administering a group practice of
psychologists, social workers and
counselors. He had been operating at
Susquehanna Institute, located on
Linglestown Road in Harrisburg, since
1984 on a part-time basis.
Beck said that what he had been
doing and was being asked to do at the
college did not really fit his training and
experience, and felt that it was time to
move on to better utilize his
College conducts personnel searches
Elin Marcel
Capital Times Staff
Looking for a job? Anyone seeking
a faculty or administrative position in
higher education would be well advised
to investigate Penn State Harrisburg.
The university is presently
conducting 25 personnel searches,
seeking 15 faculty members in six
divisions, five academic administrators
and five support personnel.
Ernest Dishner, associate provost
and dean of the faculty, said this is an
unusually high number of searches for
one year, but there is no specific
problem or reason. Retirements,
terminations, and new positions explain
the large number of searches, he added.
The search process is costing the
university approximately $75,000,
Pennsylvania State University at Harrisburg
Edward Beck
supervisory, administrative and
leadership skills.
"A number of transactions occurred
which led me to believe that I was not
necessarily in the college's future plans
for leadership,” he said. "I basically felt
very underemployed and underutilized."
When Beck started at Penn State
Harrisburg, the career center, counseling
See Beck, page 5
Dishner said. Most of the cost goes to
advertising in scholarly publications,
such as the Chronicle of Higher
Education, a weekly higher education
newspaper.
The university spends $BOO-1200
per ad, Dishner said.
"It’s important that your ad be seen
by people who would possibly be
interested in that position," Dishner said,
adding that good candidates are often
suggested by a colleague who spotted the
ad and feels they are qualified.
Dishner said the university makes a
concerted effort to recruit women and
minorities into the applicant pools.
"I want to be sure that we have done
everything that we can to be sure we
have sought out...highly qualified
women and minorities," Dishner said.
The college places advertisements in
Vartan contributes
$2.7 million to school
Pat Byers
Capital Times Staff
Penn State Harrisburg recently
received $2.7 million from Harrisburg
entrepreneur and Penn State alumnus
John Vartan.
According to the Patriot News, the
gift is the largest in the history of the
campus, and one of many previous gifts
made by Vartan to the school. It is the
first part of a $5 million donation
expected by the Vartan family.
Penn State President Joab Thomas
told the Patriot that he is delighted to
receive "this impressive vote of
confidence from the Vartan family." He
said that the gift will create an
endowment at Penn State Harrisburg.
He said the entire amount will be
invested with the interest used to support
various selected projects and programs.
Penn State Harrisburg Dean and
Provost Ruth Leventhal called Vartan "a
primary patron of this institution," and
noted that he has been a crucial figure in
the growth of the campus during the
1980 s.
Vartan is chaiman of Vartan
Enterprises Inc. of Harrisburg and
chairman of the board of directors of
Dauphin National Bank.
He is a founding member of the Penn
State Harrisburg Board of Advisors, a
affirmative action publications, such as
Black Issues, or Affirmative Action
Register, Dishner said. Any
advertisements state that Penn State is
"an affirmative action/equal opportunity
employer," and "women and minorities
are encouraged to apply."
If enough females and minorities
don’t apply, the search may be reopened,
Dishner said.
The search process is an extensive
one. While Dishner is responsible for
the academic and administrative searches,
division heads or acting division heads
are in charge of faculty searches.
The division head recommends to
Dishner a "search and screen" committee,
mainly composed of members of that
division, with at least one member from
outside the division for a different
perspective.
March 15, 1991
leader in campus fund raising and a
member of the alumni society. Vartan
received his master’s degree in
engineering from Penn State Harrisburg
in 1973.
Charles A. Cole, chairman of the
graduate program in environmental
pollution control knew Vartan as both a
student and co-worker. Cole said Vartan
was one of the first graduate students he
ever taught and was a "very focused
person who knew where to go and set
about a plan to do it.'
Cole worked with Vartan on
consulting jobs in the mid 1970 s and
called the future entrepreneur "hard
working and very determined at both
school and work." Cole said that
following graduation Vartan started his
own environmental engineering
company and expanded his interests in
properties, real estate and construction.
Vartan was named Alumni Fellow at
Penn State Harrisburg in 1987, and is an
esteemed member of the Mount Nittany
Society, which recognizes the highest
level of philanthropy to Penn State.
Vartan, who could not be reached for
comment, was responsible for donating
$194,000 for the Center of Technology,
$61,000 to the major gifts campaign, a
$250,000 gift to the Penn State
Harrisburg Downtown Center, and
$lO,OOO to the Renaissance Scholarship
Fund.
The number of applications depends
on the field. For two management
openings in the School of Business
Administration, 105 people applied. A
position in writing in the humanities
division received about 60 applications.
Before the actual interview process
begins, committee members have already
put in many hours, said John Patterson,
acting humanities division head. They
attend at least ten meetings in addition to
time spent reading numerous
applications on their own time.
"Reading applications is clearly
work," Patterson said.
After they receive applications, the
committee reviews them and
recommends to the division head a group
of individuals to be interviewed, usually
See Searches, page 4