Student, faculty forums set for Chancellor search

Ralph Slaughter, president of the Southern University system, has scheduled forums in February to allow administrative, faculty, staff and students the opportunity to participate in the search for the next chancellor for the Baton Rouge campus.
Slaughter said that the administrative, faculty and staff forum will be held Friday, Feb. 8 in the Cotillion Ballroom located in the Smith-Brown Memorial Union at 3:00 p.m. During the forum, Southern employees will have the chance to voice what they feel should be characteristics of a chancellor. Slaughter said issues that need to be addressed by the next chancellor should be aired.
In addition, all will have the opportunity to meet the search committee members. According to the http://[email protected] website, the 25-member committee consists of representatives from the campus’ colleges, administrative units, students, alumni, local community and businesses.
Erma Borskey, who wears many hats at Southern including assistant professor of social work, interim-chancellor of social work and president of the faculty senate said, “Gathering information is a good thing provided that the feedback is used to truly inform and support the decision making process.”
The student forum will also take place in the Cotillion Ballroom at 3:00 p.m. but will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 13.
Fallon Buckner, a mass communication graduate student from Lafayette, said that she honestly does not know the role of a chancellor but that whatever the role is, those making the decision should make sure that this person has a “genuine interest in Southern and that the person in question really wants to be here.” She said that they should be asked, “Why do you want to be the chancellor of Southern University Baton Rouge?”
Buckner said that Southern needs not to be in a hurry to hire a new chancellor since we have an interim-chancellor who is willing to do the job. Buckner is concerned we may rush into hiring a new chancellor and therefore err.
The Southern graduate added that the search committee should definitely err on the side of caution and to make sure this individual possesses the experience and qualifications needed to properly run the university.
Anthony Monroe, a senior business management major from Monroe, agreed with Buckner.
He said, “It’s great giving us an opportunity as students to voice our opinions about our chancellor for our campus. The negative drawback is that three months is not an adequate amount of time to find a certified chancellor.”
Slaughter said that it is expected that Southern will have a new chancellor by June 2008.