Western Carolina U. president John Bardo to step down in 2011
Asheville Citizen-Times
October 12, 2010
John W. Bardo, who guided Western Carolina University through a period of unprecedented growth in student enrollment, campus construction and academic stature during 15 years as the institution’s 10th chief executive officer, announced Monday, Oct. 11, he will leave his position as chancellor next summer.
Bardo, chancellor at WCU since 1995, informed the campus community of his decision to retire from the post effective July 1, 2011, in a series of conversations with key administrators and a message to faculty and staff.
Upon his retirement as chancellor, he will begin a year of research leave before taking a new role at WCU as a faculty member.
Bardo, 61, said he decided now is the time to step down as chancellor so the university can be better positioned for the next leap forward in its development. “It cannot be lost on even the most casual observer that this university is poised for another major breakout in quality and impact on the people of the state,” he said.
