Statistics say it was time for Steven Poskanzer to move on.

The National Association of College and University Business Officers reports an average college president stays on the job around 8.5 years.

Poskanzer was named interim president at SUNY New Paltz in October 2001. He was officially named president in May 2003.

So, in that sense, when Poskanzer announced last month that he was leaving New Paltz to become president of Carleton College in Northfield, Minn., among the prestigious liberal arts colleges in the country, it shouldn’t have come as much surprise.

But it did emerge out of the blue to most on and around the New Paltz campus, since the young (51), personable Poskanzer seemed on track to be a SUNY lifer of some consequence. Indeed, prior to coming to New Paltz, for four years Poskanzer worked for the State University’s central office in Albany, reaching the position of vice provost.

Closer scrutiny, however, tells the tale.

Not only is Carleton considered a wonderful academic institution that fits Poskanzer’s intellectual interests, it’s a small, private, lucrative school that’s a far cry from a public college which historically has had to live hand to mouth, even in good times. And these certainly aren’t good times for SUNY and New Yorkers.

So while Poskanzer is hitting all of the right notes in declaring how much he regrets leaving New Paltz, the professional opportunity in Minnesota was too good to pass up. And who could blame him if he openly admitted that he’d like to concentrate more on education and less on state budget shortfalls?

Poskanzer was the right man for the job in New Paltz when he was asked to step in following former president Roger Bowen’s unceremonious departure. Bowen essentially was canned by former Gov. Pataki in the wake of a controversial women’s studies conference on campus.

Bowen got a raw deal, but Poskanzer had the personal and political skills to ease into the aftermath of the fray and restore equilibrium. Continued...

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So effective was Poskanzer, that SUNY shed his “interim” tag some 18 months after his arrival.

In the years since, Poskanzer successfully lobbied for nearly $1 billion more in capital funding than SUNY initially had earmarked for the college. That has resulted in expansion and renovation from one end of the campus to the other.

Poskanzer also helped the college foundation successfully and significantly boost its fundraising results. He also shored up off-campus relationships. Most importantly, he presided during a period of time when academic standards and graduation rates dramatically improved.

The college committee designated to seek Poskanzer’s successor will be fortunate to discover a candidate like him.

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