West Chester’s provost could be the school’s next president. Who is she?

R. Lorraine “Laurie” Bernotsky, executive vice president and provost of West Chester University, could become the school’s next president when Christopher Fiorentino retires next summer.

In an unusual move, West Chester’s Council of Trustees on Thursday approved a resolution that would make Bernotsky, who has worked at West Chester for about 27 years — though she is temporarily working at another state university with an intention to return to West Chester — the sole candidate to be considered by the search committee for the job, at least initially.

Daniel Greenstein, chancellor of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, and the executive committee of its board of governors approved the move.

“We know her to be a very competent leader and a very exemplary individual,” said council vice chair Barry C. Dozor, a Common Pleas Court judge. “She brings an understanding of our university and the state system that is unparalleled.”

If Bernotsky decides to apply, the search committee appointed by the council Thursday would then evaluate her application and schedule interviews with the committee and the campus community, which could include open forums and presentations, according to the resolution passed by the council.

The search committee, after getting feedback from the university community, would then make a recommendation to the council if Bernotsky should be hired. If she were not hired, the university then would move to an open recruitment of candidates.

Bernotsky’s hire, if endorsed by the committee and the council, would still be subject to approval by the PASSHE board.

» READ MORE: West Chester University’s president is retiring next year

Bernotsky has been serving as interim president of Pennsylvania Western University, which was the new entity formed more than a year ago when California, Clarion and Edinboro Universities were merged. She took the position in July and previously was the school’s executive vice president and chief operating officer, a position she began last October. She has been “on loan” to Penn West from West Chester, according to Penn West’s website.

Bernotsky did not respond to requests for comment Thursday evening.

At West Chester, she is second-in-charge under Fiorentino, overseeing its academic affairs division with five colleges and 850 faculty and budget and labor relations. She started at West Chester in 1996 as a faculty member, then became associate provost and dean of graduate studies, followed by provost in 2015 and executive vice president in 2017.

She got her master’s and doctorate in politics at the University of Oxford and a master’s in sociology at Temple.

At more than 16,500 students, West Chester remains the state system’s largest university and one of its strongest, growing for many years while other system schools lost enrollment, maintaining the largest budgetary reserve, and posting the highest graduation and retention rates. About three-quarters of its students graduate in six years, and about 85% of freshmen become sophomores.

The search committee, to be chaired by trustee Christopher Franklin, includes trustees, a dean, administrators and a graduate student. It will work with the search firm Greenwood Asher & Associates to develop a profile for the positions, according to a resolution approved by the council, with input from faculty, staff, students, alumni and others.