TBR uses new technique to find president
Official candidates have increased from 8 to 16
Brian Browley
Campus News Writer
Tennessee State University has a strong national alumni base and it is the only public historically Black university in Tennessee, therefore the Tennessee Board of Regents is considering using a new technique by hiring a consult firm in order to assist in locating quality presidential candidates.
While a consult firm may help with finding presidential candidates, Student Government Association President Chauncey Davis and SGA Speaker of the House William Bush, are also on the presidential search committee.
“TSU is in a unique position, we need a president that will keep our legacy in tact, and is willing to work with the alumni association,” said John Ford, TSU national alumni association president. Ford also felt that the use of the firm, in addition to the involvement of the TSU community, could be beneficial.
“If [the TBR] didn’t use an outside source, then the source that you do use might be biased.”
The request for the proposal of a search firm was presented, with the deadline as Sept.15. The projected award date for the search firm is Sept. 20.
A committee composed of TBR Vice Chancellor for Business and Finance, Robert Adams; TBR Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Paula Short; TBR Special Assistant to the Chancellor, Wendy Thompson; and TSU Interim Vice President for Business and Finance, Cynthia Brooks will evaluate the firm’s proposals. The contract between the firm and the TBR is expected to be signed on Aug. 30. According to Adams, the search firm’s involvement is going to be used to open the search to a wider range of candidates.
The list of official candidates has increased to 16 official candidates and ten nominees as of Sept. 13.
“We’re going to ask the successful firm to identify qualified candidates and the assist in background and reference checks,” Adams said. “But we’re not going to turn over the whole search to them.”
Adams also stated that the search firm would be able to “encourage some folks to be candidates who might not normally apply.” The inclusion of the firm will not lessen or increase the power of the TBR presidential search committee. According to the TBR’s web site, Chancellor Charles Manning appointed eleven of the fourteen members of the committee “to represent the various TSU constituencies and the community.”
Individuals who personally submit a letter of application automatically become official candidates. Nominees are recommended by others and are provided an opportunity to either accept or reject the nomination; those who accept the nomination are moved to the official list of candidate.•
