Evan S. Dobelle is a college president once again. Westfield State College, in Massachusetts, announced last night the unanimous appointment of Mr. Dobelle, who is currently president of the New England Board of Higher Education.

A former city mayor and national figure in the Democratic Party, Mr. Dobelle has been an aggressive leader as a college president. After a stint at Trinity College, in Connecticut, he had a controversial three years as president of the University of Hawaii system. He was ousted in 2004, and received a $1.6-million mediated settlement from the system.

On Friday, Westfield’s governing board will present the appointment to the state’s Board of Education for final approval. The chairman of the college’s board told a local newspaper that he would oversee a full background check of Mr. Dobelle. —Paul Fain