MOUNT VERNON — John W. Harp of Mount Vernon is the new dean of students at Cornell College. He succeeds Joan Claar, who retired June 30.
Harp has been associate dean of students at Cornell, supervising career services, leadership programs, new student orientation, student activities and campus programs, The Commons, the social group system and student organizations. He came to Cornell in 1995 as assistant dean of students.
The dean of students oversees the development, administration and monitoring of student life programs outside the classroom, specifically for the following areas: activities and programming, leadership, residence life, career services, intercultural life, volunteer services, student counseling services and student health services.
Harp has been in the field of college administration for 13 years. Prior to Cornell, he was a student development specialist at the University of Memphis, assistant director of residence life and fraternities adviser at Rhodes College and assistant director of residence life at Winthrop University. Harp holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and political science and a master’s degree in counseling and development, both from Winthrop; and has completed all coursework toward a doctorate in higher education administration from the University of Memphis.