Columbus State narrows presidential search to five candidates
The search for Columbus State University’s next president is down to five candidates, who will visit the campus next month.
CSU associate professor of business administration John Finley, chairman of the 17-member search committee, announced Wednesday the candidates and the visitation schedule:
March 1-3: Randy Hanna, former chancellor of the Florida College System (previously known as the Florida Community College System).
March 3-5: Al Romero, former dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, Ill.
March 8-10: Chris Markwood, provost and vice president for academic affairs, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Texas.
March 10-12: Carl Stockton, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, University of Houston-Clear Lake, Texas.
March 15-17: Jose-Marie Griffiths, vice president for academic affairs, Bryant University, Smithfield, R.I.
Each visit will include two forums open to the public, at 2 p.m. on main campus and 3:30 p.m. on the RiverPark Campus downtown. The dates will be March 2, 4, 9, 11 and 16. The locations haven’t been determined, Finley said.
The committee chose 11 of the 60 applicants to interview last week in Atlanta. Ten were interviewed, Finley said, and five made the cut.
“These candidates came across as professional, knowledgeable about higher education (what it entails and present/future challenges), and accomplished in pertinent leadership experience,” Finley wrote in an email to the Ledger-Enquirer.
While the primary focus was leadership on campus, Finley said, the selection criteria also included proven ability to: build relationships in the community; share governance with faculty, staff and students; grow and manage budgets and facilities; fundraise; work with regents, legislators and federal officials; enhance student life; and increase enrollment, graduation rates and successful career placement.
The committee’s deliberations have been thorough yet smooth, said Finley, who also serves as executive officer of the faculty senate.
“There has been a comfortable and open feeling in expressing our views on the candidates from our different perspectives and backgrounds,” he said. “I have appreciated having the many discerning eyes of this committee on the candidates’ applications.”
The professional consultant for the search, John Hicks, said in a phone interview, “This has been a great search.”
Hicks said he has done nearly 80 searches in 10 years for Washington, D.C.-based Academic Search. Before that, he said, he helped hire 13 chancellors in 25 years while working for the University of Alabama System.
Hicks called CSU “a great university with a lot to offer in a system that’s well run.”
Also part of CSU’s successful search, Hicks said, is a strong partnership with the community. That helped attract a “high quality pool” of 60 applicants, which is more than average, Hicks said.
“The city of Columbus and its support, the relationship between the city and campus, has been one of the biggest sellers,” he said. “It’s very appealing for the candidates to know those bonds are already established and greatly valued.”
After the candidates visit campus, the committee will recommend 3-5, without ranking them, to the University System Board of Regents. The Special Regents’ Search Committee will recommend an unspecified number of finalists to chancellor Hank Huckaby, who will recommend his top choice to the full board.
Tim Mescon announced his retirement five months ago. He was CSU president for six years when he left Dec. 31 to move to Amsterdam and become senior vice president and chief officer for Europe, the Middle East and Africa with the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International.
Mescon is the fourth president in the 57-year history of CSU, which began as Columbus College. Thomas Whitley served from 1958-79, Francis Brooke from 1980-87 and Frank Brown from 1998-2008.
Tom Hackett, the provost and vice president for academic affairs at CSU, has been serving as interim president.
Mark Rice, 706-576-6272. Follow Mark on Twitter@MarkRiceLE.
CSU PRESIDENTIAL SEARCH AND SCREEN COMMITTEE
* John Finley, CSU associate professor of business administration and the executive officer of the faculty senate, chairs the committee.
* Kevin Burgess, CSU associate professor of biology.
* Clarence "Earl" Coleman, CSU professor of music.
* Courtney George, CSU assistant professor of English.
* Tim Howard, CSU professor of mathematics.
* Stuart Rayfield, CSU associate professor and director of the Servant Leadership Program.
* Michael Richardson, CSU professor and director of the education doctorate program.
* Ekaterina Strekalova, CSU assistant professor of early childhood education.
* Aimee Vael, CSU associate professor of nursing.
* Amber Dees, assistant director of CSU’s public administration program and president of the staff council.
* Rachel Green, president of the CSU Student Government Association.
* Richard Holmes, CSU Foundation Board of Trustees member.
* Nancy Buntin, CSU Foundation Board of Trustees member.
* John Lee, an otolaryngologist in Columbus.
* Tony Link, chairman of the CSU Foundation Board of Trustees.
* Marc Olivié, president and CEO of W.C. Bradley Co., and CSU Foundation Board of Trustees member.
* Jimmy Yancey, CSU Foundation Board of Trustees member.
This story was originally published February 25, 2015 at 9:35 AM with the headline "Columbus State narrows presidential search to five candidates."