The Southern University Board of Supervisors is committed to an open process in the search for a President of the Southern University System. The Search will be conducted in a fair, and competitive manner. Candidates will be sought from around the nation, as well as within Louisiana and within the Southern University System.
There will be a single, public pool of candidates. No candidate will be considered by the Search Committee or the Board unless his or her candidacy has first been evaluated through the evaluation process.
Article VII, Section I of the Bylaws of the Southern University Board of Supervisors provides that the Board of Supervisors shall have the power to appoint the President, and, upon the recommendation of the President, it shall appoint other administrative officers of the University System, as is deem necessary. The Board shall establish, or cause to be established, procedures for the selection, appointment and evaluation of the President and the selection and appointment of other major administrative officers within the University System. These procedures shall obtain an expression of faculty opinion.
Following is the process for selecting the President of the Southern University
System.
I. Establishment of a Search Committee
Upon receipt of such notice of the notice of a vacancy in the position of Presidency, the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors shall within 15 days appoint members of the Search Committee for President. The Search Committee shall consist of SU Board Members, appointed by the Board Chair, and the following constituencies:
Other members of the Board may attend meetings of the Search Committee.
II. Timetable
An appropriate timetable will be developed for the Presidential Search. The Search will be conducted as expeditiously as possible.
III. Development of Criteria
The Search Committee shall prepare and recommend a Statement of Characteristics and Qualifications to the Board for its approval. This committee shall seek all qualified applicants who must have the earned doctorate degree and other credentials determined by the Search Committee.
IV. Identification of Candidates
Advertisement of the position will be handled by the Office of the Board. Advertisements will placed in the Chronicle of Higher Education, Black Issues in Higher Education, through notification of the position vacancy to national associations and higher education systems, and other media, as determined by the Committee. In addition, search committee members and others interested in the institution are encouraged to recommend and nominate individuals for the position. If desired, a search firm may be utilized in this process.
Nominations/applications should be submitted to the Chair of the Search Committee, and each nomination/application will be acknowledged by letter. Applicants will be requested, but not required, to identify themselves by race and gender. The search process will remain open until the position is filled.
V. Screening Process
The Co-Chairs of the Search Committee will conduct a preliminary review of all applications, eliminating those which do not meet the minimum criteria. Resumes of qualified applicants then will be reviewed with each committee member and the Board.
The Co-Chairs of the Search Committee, in consultation with members of the Search Committee, shall screen the pool of candidates to determine which candidates best meet the needs of the System.
After the best candidates have been identified, interviews will be scheduled with students, faculty, administration, staff and interested members of the public in accordance with a schedule to be developed, in consultation with the candidate(s). The Candidates' resumes and interview schedules shall be provided to all Board members. Prior to his/her interview, the candidate will be provided a set of materials including: the university catalogs, faculty handbooks, student handbooks, five-year strategic planning documents, campus maps, information about the cities and regions where each campus is located, and other appropriate material.
Following interviews and meetings, the Search Committee will solicit input from students, faculty, administrators, staff and interested members of the public concerning the strengths and weaknesses each member perceives in the candidates.
VI. Conduct of the Search
Consultant. The Search Committee shall make a recommendation to the full Board on the question of whether a search consultant should be retained to assist in recruiting candidates who will participate in the public evaluation process. If the Board approves the use of a search consultant, the Search Committee shall issue a request for proposal, evaluate the proposals, and select the search consultant.
Support Staff. The Board Chairman shall arrange for an appropriate level of administrative and support staff for the search. The Co-Chairs of the Search Committee shall prepare a budget for the search and present it to the Finance Committee for approval.
Transition. The Search Committee shall prepare a plan for the orientation and transition of the new president and present it to the Board for approval.
VII. Final Evaluation and Selection of Finalist
The Search Committee shall recommend to the Board a list of three or more candidates that will be interviewed by the Board for consideration. The Search Committee's recommendation should not be less than three candidates. The Search Committee shall present the candidates to the Board without ranking. The Board may vote to reject all finalists and instruct the Search Committee to continue the search.
The Board Chair, Vice Chair and Board Counsel shall discuss the terms of appointment for the President of the System.
The Board shall extend offer of position to the selected candidate. If candidate accepts offer, he or she will sign acceptance and employment documents. The person selected to fill the post of President of the Southern University System shall assume his/her duties upon notification by the Board of Supervisors.
VIII. Final Authority
Nothing in this process shall be construed to diminish in any way the final and complete authority of the Board of Supervisors to select the President of the Southern University System and set the terms of his/her employment.
