Aug. 24, 1998
Contact: Carol Wood
	 (804) 924-6189

U.Va. VP Called Technology Visionary
POLLEY McCLURE ELECTED EDUCAUSE'S FIRST BOARD CHAIR

	University of Virginia Vice President and Chief Information
Officer Polley Ann McClure has been elected chair of the board of
EDUCAUSE, the national association whose mission is to facilitate the
transformation of education through information technologies.  EDUCAUSE
was formed in July by the consolidation of CAUSE and Educom. McClure
becomes the first board chair for the organization.
	McClure's election was made at the Board's first official
meeting on Aug. 8, 1998.  The meeting preceded the Seminars on Academic
Computing (SAC) conference in Snowmass Village, CO.  EDUCAUSE is led by
President Brian L. Hawkins, and Vice Presidents Carole Barone, Richard
Katz, and Mark Luker.
	Of McClure's election, Hawkins said, "Polley McClure will
provide EDUCAUSE
extraordinary direction and guidance. She is a visionary in the field,
and I very much look forward to working with her, the other officers and
members of the Board in making EDUCAUSE a responsive and leading
organization in higher education."
	McClure, who has served on both the Educom and CAUSE boards, as
well as the SAC board, said she is looking forward to working with the
EDUCAUSE staff, and is excited about the changes and great potential the
consolidation has brought. "I am very excited to see the way EDUCAUSE is
coming together. Hawkins, Barone, Luker, and Katz are a dynamite
leadership team. They really understand the issues facing the whole
range of institutions that make up our membership. I'm looking forward
to supporting their initiatives."
	The three-day Snowmass meeting gave the EDUCAUSE executive staff
and Board the opportunity to not only select the Board officers, but
also to develop strategic plans for the new organization. "Through this
retreat we focused on our shared views of the future for the
organization. It was very rewarding to realize the high degree of
agreement, excitement, and energy directed toward the goals of this new
organization," McClure said.
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	Other officers elected at the EDUCAUSE Board's first meeting
were Ron Bleed, vice chancellor, Information Technologies, Maricopa
Community Colleges, who will serve as the board's vice chair; Donald R.
Riley, associate vice president and CIO, University of Maryland, is 					
the new secretary; and Laurence R. Alvarez, associate provost,
University of the South, who will serve as treasurer.  All officers
elected at this meeting will serve through the winter of 2000.

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	Information about EDUCAUSE, its mission, programs, publications,
conferences, membership, and the consolidation is available through the
association's home page at: http://www.educause.edu  

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