These are the folks who will help select the next Columbus State University president
A University System of Georgia Board of Regents policy allows the board to hire a president for one of its institutions without conducting a national search and without local input in the selection process.
That’s why Columbus State University biology professor Brian Schwartz, president of the American Association of University Professors CSU chapter, praised the board’s announcement that it’ll select the next CSU president through a national search with local input on the search committee.
“I’m pleased that the chancellor has formed the search committee,” Schwartz told the Ledger-Enquirer in an email Wednesday. “It looks like all constituencies are well represented, including the faculty. I continue to advocate for an open search in which the finalists meet with members of the university and local communities and stakeholders are able to provide feedback to the committee.”
How open the search will be and whether the public could meet finalists is unclear. USG spokesman Lance Wallace didn’t answer the L-E’s questions before publication, but here is an outline of the selection process, as described in the board’s news release.
Members of the search committee are:
- Regent C. Thomas Hopkins, Jr., M.D., committee chair
- Regent and Board Chairman Harold Reynolds
- Regent W. Allen Gudenrath
- Jordan Allen, president, Student Government Association
- Victoria Buchanan, graduate assistant, CSU’s ROAR Orientation program
- Stephen T. Butler, retired CEO and chairman of the W.C. Bradley Co.; member, CSU Foundation Board of Trustees
- Marvin Crumbs, Ed.D., principal, Columbus High School; member, CSU Alumni Association Board of Directors
- Larry Dooley, Ph.D., professor and chair, Department of Theatre and Dance, College of Arts
- Floyd Jackson, Ph.D., professor and chair, Department of Chemistry; interim chair, Department of Earth and Space Sciences; College of Letters and Sciences
- William Keen, student development coordinator, Office of Student Life and Development; chair, CSU Staff Council
- Troy Keller, Ph.D., professor, Department of Earth and Space Sciences, College of Letters and Sciences; chair, Faculty Senate
- Ashley May, vice chancellor of external affairs and chief of staff, University System of Georgia
- Lydia Ray, Ph.D., associate professor of Computer Science, Turner College of Business
- Gwen Ruff, senior vice president, Administration and Community Outreach, Columbus Water Works; colonel (retired), U.S. Army Reserves; member, CSU Foundation Board of Trustees; member, CSU Alumni Association Board of Directors
- Natalia Temesgen, associate professor of Creative Writing, Department of English, College of Letters and Sciences
- Teddie Ussery, chair, CSU Foundation Board of Trustees
- Cortney Wilson, director, William B. Turner Center for Servant Leadership; member, CSU Alumni Board of Directors
- Kelly Wilson, senior executive director, Facilities and CSU Real Estate
- Steven Wright, Ph.D., assistant professor of Counselor Education, College of Education and Health Professions, Executive Secretary (AY21-22), Faculty Senate
- Jimmy Yancey, former regent; member, CSU Foundation Board of Trustees; retired president and chairman of the Board of Directors, Synovus Financial Co.
The committee will use ZRG Partners, headquartered in New Jersey but with an office in Atlanta, for consulting services in the search. When the committee has whittled the field of applicants to 3-5 candidates, their names and credentials will be submitted unranked to the board for consideration. The USG policy gives the board exclusive authority to designate one or more finalists.
Chris Markwood retired June 30 after seven years as CSU’s fifth president. The institution was founded in 1958 as Columbus College and gained university status in 1996.
University System of Georgia vice chancellor for organizational effectiveness John Fuchko started working full-time on CSU’s campus June 1 and officially became interim president July 1.
This story was originally published August 3, 2022 at 12:46 PM.
