Vice President for Student Affairs Dan Nadler will take an educational leave for Spring 2016, according to an email sent by Eastern President David Glassman Monday.

Nadler, who has worked with the administration for 10 years, will return to the faculty in the fall of 2016.

An educational leave is can be taken for the purposes of study and research, including  travel related to this research and creative work in that employee’s field of endeavor, Glassman said.

Nadler will teach classes in the Department of Counseling and Student Development as a tenured professor.

Glassman said he selected Lynette Drake, director of Health Services to serve as interim Associate Vice President for Student Affairs.

“Ms. Drake was chosen on the basis of her broad knowledge and extensive leadership experience in student affairs,” Glassman said.

Drake served as Eastern’s Interim Vice President for Student affairs before Nadler was hired.

He said in the email that a national search for a permanent Vice President for Student Affairs will begin as soon as it is “fiscally prudent.”

When the search has been completed, Drake will continue her previous duties.

Because it is a personnel issue, Glassman said he could not comment on whether Nadler chose to step down as Vice President or if he was asked to, on how long the administration knew about Nadler’s educational leave or the reasons for the change.