Student affairs VP finalists visit campus

By Joseph Kleinsasser

The two finalists for vice president for student affairs had a busy schedule during their campus visit Thursday, May 6.

The interview schedule for Ronald Kopita and Mahmoud Saffari included meetings with the search committee; senate representatives from faculty, unclassified and classified staffs and representatives from the Student Government Association; student affairs representatives; president’s administrative staff; deans; an open forum; and lunch with student leaders.

Kopita is presently vice president for student affairs and dean of students at California State University, Northridge. He has been at CSU-Northridge since 1992.

Kopita is one of three vice presidents responsible for the management of a $170 million university budget. He has overall responsibility for student development and life on the university campus including programmatic responsibility for campus discipline.

From 1977-1992, Kopita served in a number of capacities at Moorhead State University, in Moorhead, Minn. He was director of counseling and member of the graduate faculty from 1977-1985, assistant vice president for student services from 1985-1987, and vice president for student affairs from 1987-1992.

Kopita received his doctorate in counseling psychology and higher education administration in 1973 at the University of Michigan. He earned his master’s degree in college student personnel administration at Michigan State University in 1968, and his bachelor’s degree in social studies (secondary education) from State University College at New Paltz, N.Y., in 1966.

Saffari has served as assistant vice chancellor for undergraduate education, division of academic affairs at Indiana University, Kokomo, since 1996.

In his present capacity, Saffari is providing leadership in initiating, planning, developing, coordinating, implementing, evaluating/assessment, policy formulation, budget development, personnel management and professional staff supervision.

Saffari was dean of students at Bellevue University, Bellevue, Neb., in 1994-1995. From 1990-1994, he was associate vice president for student development and director of retention, advising and new student services at Briar Cliff College in Sioux City, Iowa. From 1986-1989 Saffari served as academic program information specialist at the University of Oregon.

Saffari earned his doctorate in higher education administration in 1986 at the University of Oregon. He received his master’s in curriculum and instruction (secondary education) in 1979 at the University of Oregon, and his bachelor’s degree in American literature in 1977 at Pars College, Tehran, Iran.