Purnell MOC directior at New Bern
By Other
Published in News on January 16, 2005 2:08 AM
MOUNT OLIVE -- Vaughn P. Purnell has been appointed director of the Mount Olive College location at New Bern.
He is replacing Joe Klotz who was director for more than six years. Klotz will continue to teach psychology at New Bern.
Purnell, who joined Mount Olive College in June of 2003, is a former ordained Presbyterian minister. He earned his bachelor's degree in math from Grove City College and his M. Div. from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Prior to joining MOC, he spent 22 years in the corporate world in New York City and Stamford, Conn., working in his own firm and working for human resources consulting companies.
A native of Glassport, Pa., he has also lived in DuBois. He moved to New Bern six years ago. He and his wife, Pat, have two sons and four grandchildren.
As director of the New Bern location, Purnell plans to maintain the college's tradition of providing four-year college education to working adults through modular degree completion programs; enhance student support services; recruit and retain the best teaching talent and increase public awareness of Mount Olive College in eastern North Carolina.
"Adult, non-traditional education is expanding nationally, and our New Bern location will strive to meet the challenge of the increased demand driven by national economic factors and new technology," he said. "College and local leaders, supported by a recent grant from the Bates Foundation, are exploring solutions to our expansion needs, both physical and programmatic, throughout the seven county region we serve."
The New Bern location of Mount Olive College offers bachelor's degrees in management and organizational development, criminal justice administration, early childhood education and religion. It also offers the Heritage program, designed for students with little or no college credit. Mount Olive College at New Bern serves 250 students and graduates around 100 annually.