University System of Georgia makes historic hire in vote for new Columbus State president
After being announced as the sole finalist last week, Stuart Rayfield has been hired as the new president of Columbus State University, where she was a faculty member and administrator from 2006-16.
The University System of Georgia Board of Regents voted Thursday to appoint Rayfield, who is interim executive vice chancellor for academic affairs. Starting July 1, she will succeed Chris Markwood, who retired June 30 after seven years as CSU’s fifth president.
USG vice chancellor for organizational effectiveness John Fuchko started working full-time on CSU’s campus June 1 and officially became interim president July 1.
Rayfield will be the first female president of the institution that was founded in 1958 as Columbus College and gained university status in 1996.
Rayfield previously was interim president at three USG institutions during her 17-year career in the system: University of West Georgia, Gordon State College and Bainbridge State College. At CSU, she was the Frank D. Brown Distinguished Chair in Servant Leadership, associate professor and interim associate provost for undergraduate education.
‘Tremendous opportunity’
“This is a tremendous opportunity to support the success of students, faculty and staff,” USG chancellor Sonny Perdue said in a news release. “Stuart lives in the community, has taught on campus and has an immediate grasp of how Columbus State helps us be the leading provider of a highly skilled workforce in Georgia. I want to thank Dr. Fuchko for his service and commitment to the university and look forward to Dr. Rayfield’s continued leadership in her new role.”
Rayfield also has worked at Auburn University, Vanderbilt University, Middle Tennessee State University and the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
“I’m thrilled to return to Columbus State University as its next president,” she said in the news release. “With its deep ties to the Chattahoochee Valley community, including Fort Benning, Columbus State is the driver of the region’s workforce and is poised to lead and partner with other entities to meet the demands of an ever-changing economy.
“My family and I have called Columbus home for almost 20 years, and we look forward to supporting its future. This role is personal for me. I know from experience how much hard work has gone into building this institution into what it is today, a destination in Georgia and beyond. As we look to the future, I am convinced Columbus State will continue to reflect the innovative spirit of the region and I’m eager to join them on that journey.”
Rayfield earned a doctorate in higher-education administration, with a focus on leadership, policy and organizations, from Vanderbilt, a master’s degree in higher-education administration, with a focus on student affairs, from the University of Alabama and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Rhodes College.
The Ledger-Enquirer asked USG spokeswoman Kristina Torres how many candidates applied and how many were interviewed. This story will be updated with those answers when they are received.
New selection process
The Board of Regents changed USG policy in May to make the search process for presidents the same across all institutions. It now requires the committee to send names and credentials of 3-5 unranked candidates to the board for consideration. The policy gives the board exclusive authority to designate one or more finalists. USG must announce the finalist or finalists five business days before voting to hire.
That means no candidates visited campus for public forums, as they did when Markwood was hired in 2015.
Perdue told the CSU president search committee in August why the names of candidates must be kept secret until the finalist or finalists are announced, asserting that the best candidates probably already have a job.
“When you breach the confidentiality of the process,” he said, “good things don’t happen.”
Hiring institution presidents is “probably the most important” responsibility for the USG Board of Regents, Perdue said. “Leadership and people matter,” he said.
The connection CSU and the Columbus community have with each other is as strong as anywhere, Perdue said.
“This is a special place,” he said, “and I think you deserve a leader at the university here who will be commensurate with what Columbus has given and continues to give back, from the philanthropic community to the community at large.”
This story was originally published March 9, 2023 at 1:17 PM.
