Officials declined to release his salary or contract terms. Hart received $655,000 in total compensation in fiscal year 2011, the most recent year available on tax forms, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education.
The university is in the middle of a national search to replace Hart, who has served as president for six years and will become president of the University of Arizona this summer. Officials had hoped to have a new president in place by the time of Hart’s departure, which she announced last September.
But the search is continuing.
“We’re confident we’re going to have a great president to announce,” said O’Connor, head of the 12-member presidential search committee.
In an email to the Temple community, O’Connor wrote: “The committee has been pleased with the quality of the candidates and is confident that it will successfully complete the search in the next several months.”
More than 50 candidates have expressed interest and the committee has looked at two sitting presidents as recently as last week, O’Connor said in the interview.
In the meantime, Englert “will keep the ball moving in the right direction until we find a worthy successor to Ann Hart,” said O’Connor, also vice chairman of the law firm Cozen O’Connor.
Englert does not want to be permanent president and is not a candidate for the job, O’Connor said.
Englert said in a phone interview that he wants to return to the classroom as a professor of education when his stint as president is complete.
“I’m deeply honored,” Englert said of the appointment. “My whole higher education career has been at the university, and it has just been an absolutely rewarding experience.”
Englert said in consultation with the trustees board, he intends to appoint an interim provost by the time he takes the helm.
Englert, of Cherry Hill, has a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from St. John’s College in California, a master’s in elementary education from Pepperdine University and a doctorate in educational administration from the University of California at Los Angeles.
A former elementary and special education teacher in the Los Angeles area early on in his career, he has held several administrative positions at Temple. They include: vice president for administration, associate dean and dean of the education college, deputy provost and dean of the University College, and chief of staff to the president. Also, he has served in acting capacity in several jobs, including graduate school dean, CEO of the School of Podiatric Medicine, director of athletics and dean of the former College of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.
Englert recently headed an in-depth look at the university’s academic set-up and released a “white paper” which calls for consolidating or merging several schools or departments on campus. The recommendations stirred controversy on campus.
He plans to make recommendations within the next week or so to O’Connor for proceeding with some of the plans laid out in the paper.
With more than 39,000 students on its campuses, including its main base in the heart of North Philadelphia, Temple is one of the region’s largest universities. Operating on a $2.2 billion budget, Temple includes 17 schools and colleges and a comprehensive health system.
Contact Susan Snyder at 215-854-4693 or ssnyder@phillynews.com, or follow on Twitter @ssnyderinq.
