[1]WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (BP)–Paul R. Corts, president of Palm Beach Atlantic University for 11 and a half years, has been appointed U.S. assistant attorney general for administration. He leaves the university Nov. 15 for Washington, D.C.
In his new position, Corts will oversee the Justice Department’s justice management division, which assists senior management officials with issues regarding basic department policy for budget and financial management, personnel management and training, equal opportunity programs, ethics training and advice, automatic data processing and telecommunications, security, records management, procurement, real property, material management and various other matters pertaining to organization, management and administration.
Corts became Palm Beach Atlantic’s fifth president in 1991 when enrollment was 1,544 students. With a current enrollment of 2,800, Palm Beach Atlantic currently is engaged in $49 million in campus development.
He recently completed a two-year term as chairman of the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida and has served a term as president of the American Association of Presidents of Independent Colleges and Universities.
During his PBA tenure, Corts’ leadership in the technology arena resulted in the installation of PalmNET, the campus’ own intranet system in 1996, and PBA becoming the first wireless campus in Florida in 2000. He has significantly expanded the number of faculty, academic majors, graduate programs, athletic teams, fundraising initiatives, student life programs, student community service hours and student mission trips. Corts was instrumental in launching of PBA’s first doctoral program in pharmacy in 2001 and in developing plans to open a school of nursing in 2003. Last July, Corts announced the college’s transition to university status.
“Dr. Corts came here with a 10-year plan in mind and has performed a magnificent job,” said Donald E. Warren, chairman of PBA’s trustees. “We are indebted to him for his outstanding leadership and his constant focus on the welfare of the students. His efforts have strengthened Palm Beach Atlantic both academically and spiritually.” Warren said trustees are in the process of developing a transition plan and will appoint a search committee.
[2]Prior to his arrival at PBA, Corts had served eight years as president of Wingate University in Wingate, N.C., where he achieved similar results in institutional growth and development. He also served five years as executive vice president and chief administrative officer at Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee. Earlier, he served on the faculty and held a number of administrative positions at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green.
He has coauthored two textbooks and has engaged in international study as a participant and as a leader in nearly 30 countries, including Russia, China, most of Europe and South and Central America.
Palm Beach Atlantic University is a comprehensive Christian university in downtown West Palm Beach founded in 1968 and now offering associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees.
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(BP) photo posted in the BP Photo Library at http://www.bpnews.net. Photo title: PAUL R. CORTS.