Gov. Janet Napolitano announced that Northern Arizona University President John Haeger is up for Senate confirmation for his appointment to the state Board of Education.

Haeger’s senate hearing will be Wednesday, Feb. 28.

“President Haeger’s leadership at NAU will serve him well on the board,” Napolitano said. “He has demonstrated his commitment to education since his years as a professor and will add diversity and expertise to the board.”

Haeger’s six-year term began Jan. 15 and expires Jan. 17, 2011.

“I have gained valuable experience serving as chair of Governor Napolitano’s Committee on Teacher Quality and Support and as a member of the governor’s P-20 Council, which focuses on the continuum of education from preschool to post-graduate study,” Haeger said. “This experience will provide a solid foundation for my new role on the state
Board of Education.”

Haeger, who joined NAU in 2000 as the provost and began his term as president in 2001, is known for his pro-education stance and his vast experience at all levels of higher
education. He was a professor and chair of the history department at Central Michigan University. Haeger then became the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and later worked as associate dean and dean of the College of Graduate Studies/Office of Research and Sponsored Programs at the same institution.

In addition to serving on the Governor’s P-20 Council, he is a member of the board of directors of the Translational Genomics Institute.

“I am especially interested in promoting alignment of curriculum and goals among K-12 schools, the community colleges and the universities to ensure that our students are fully prepared to live and work in the 21st century,” Haeger said.

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