BOT CHAIRMAN'S CHARGE

Florida A&M University has launched a process that is critically important to our history and legacy, the selection of the next president of this University. This is especially critical as this year marks our 125th Anniversary of inspiring students to become great leaders and building a supportive staff that will ensure that these students become graduates, while exercising "Excellence With Caring.”

On August 15, 2012, the board met and I named a committee to assume this awesome task. My charge to the committee is to:

• Develop a process that begins with soliciting input from the board and our constituents, namely the alumni, faculty, students, community, staff, administrators and other University supporters, that will result in the Leadership Statement.

• Ensure that the Leadership Statement becomes a part of the Job Description.

• Make a recommendation to the members of the Board of Trustees about securing a Search Firm, which will conduct a national search to recruit a broad and diverse pool of well-qualified nominees and applicants. The current interim president will not be considered as one of the applicants, by consensus of the Board of Trustees.

• Develop a timeline for the search process which includes a short list of candidates for the board to screen and interview.

• Follow all university policies and act in accordance with state laws and regulations. This board is committed to complying with the Sunshine Laws for public records and public meetings.

• Develop a communication strategy for keeping the board and the public informed about the process.

Most importantly, I asked the committee to keep this process as transparent as possible, while also balancing the need to permit the process to work effectively.

We are off to a great start and I hope that we will build upon this momentum until we name a president. It is a difficult job. Everyone has high expectations that we will choose the "perfect" next president. We will work diligently, review candidates thoroughly, and select the best president for the next chapter in the life of this University.

Solomon L. Badger, III
Chair, FAMU Board of Trustees