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Mount St. Mary's President Changing Job At School

EMMITSBURG, Md. (AP) -- Mount St. Mary's University President Thomas Powell says he's stepping down but not leaving the Catholic school in Emmitsburg that he has run for 10 years.

Powell said Tuesday he will depart the president's office in June 2014 for a yearlong sabbatical that will include working in an orphanage in East Timor.

He says he'll return to campus as president emeritus in 2015 to teach classes in educational psychology with a focus on disabilities. Powell earned degrees in special education before working in college administration.

The school's Board of Trustees says it will launch a national search next month for Powell's successor.

During his tenure, Powell oversaw changes aimed at improving the school's academic reputation. They included changing the name from Mount St. Mary's College to Mount St. Mary's University.

(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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