Duties of the President

Southern University System

• The System President is the chief executive officer of the University System and shall serve as Secretary to the Board. He or she shall hold office at the pleasure of the Board and be compensated at a salary fixed by the Board and recorded in its proceedings.  The President shall be responsible to the Board for the conduct of the affairs of the University System.  He or she shall execute and enforce all of the decisions, orders, rules and regulations of the Board with respect to the conduct of the University System.  He or she shall be governed by all laws pertaining to the Southern University System.


• The President’s discretionary authority shall be broad enough to enable him or her to meet his or her extensive responsibilities.


• The President, except as otherwise provided in the bylaws, shall make all nominations for appointments, suspensions, and dismissals of all administrative officers holding positions at the pleasure of the Board.  Upon recommendation of the Chancellor of each Campus, the President shall have the authority to make all other appointments, promotions, transfers, suspensions, and dismissals of academic and unclassified employees, subject to the approval of the Board.  The President, or an officer designated by him, is authorized as the appointing authority to make and approve personnel actions relating to classified personnel, including disciplinary actions required to be expressed in writing, in keeping with governing statutes.


• In considering the appointment of persons to those administrative offices where there is dual responsibility to both the System and a particular campus, the President shall solicit and give careful attention to the views and opinions of the Chancellor concerned. 


• Subject to the Board’s direction and approval:

• The President shall establish administrative policies and procedures for the University System in keeping with the mission of each campus, and promote the general welfare of the System. 


• The President shall develop and implement educational policies and procedures for the University System in keeping with the mission of each campus, and promote the general welfare of the System. 


•  The President shall develop a sound fiscal management system; he shall prepare and present a consolidated budget of the University System to the Board, and shall assume and retain complete control at all times over all budgets of the System, as approved by the Board. 


• The President shall serve as spokesman for the System to all agencies, inside and out of the University System, to the Alumni, news media and the general public. 

• The President shall establish and maintain lines of communication with the Chancellor of each campus.


• The President, with the assistance of the Chancellors, shall have authority to appoint such committees from among the personnel of the System as deemed desirable for the purpose of advising the President in connection with any problems of the System.  The Chancellor shall be informed of all such appointments of personnel on his or her campus. 


• The President shall be a member of all faculties.  The Chancellor shall normally serve as presiding officers at meetings of the faculty on their respective campuses, though it shall be the President’s privilege to preside at such meetings. 


• The President shall attend meetings of the Board and its Committees.