November 22, 1996
Alspaugh will turn 65 in May, and Purdue normally requires that executives in top policy-making positions step aside by the end of the fiscal year in which they turn 65.
Purdue President Steven C. Beering recommended the exception, which will allow Alspaugh to stay on for two additional years, stating: "Dr. Alspaugh has done a superb job for Purdue North Central, as the growth of the campus and the strong support from students, faculty and community leaders attests. I am very pleased that he has agreed to delay his retirement for the good of the institution.
"The campus is at a critical juncture now with the current expansion of the physical plant and the need for strong leadership to oversee a new strategic plan. Dale Alspaugh remains a vital and popular chancellor, and our best management decision is to take advantage of his vision and experience."
Purdue North Central's strategic plan addresses all issues of the campus, with special emphasis on developing or expanding resources, enrollment, faculty and programs to meet community needs.
The campus, located on 275 acres north of Westville, draws students primarily from LaPorte, Porter, Starke and surrounding counties in northern Indiana. When classes began this fall, 3,399 students were enrolled to take 29,863 credit hours. That represents a growth of almost 30 percent in students and more than 45 percent in credit hours since Alspaugh became chancellor in 1984.
The campus, which will celebrate its 30th birthday next year, recently expanded to three buildings with the addition of the $15 million, 104,000-square-foot Technology Building.
Alspaugh was North Central vice chancellor for academic affairs and acting chancellor from 1981 to 1984. A professor of aeronautical and astronautical engineering, he joined Purdue in 1959.
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Writer: Jeanne V. Norberg, (765) 494-2096; e-mail, jeanne_norberg@purdue.edu