Southern University SystemPresident Leon Tarver said that his plans to continue as the leader of the onlyhistorically black university system in the United States will be decided”sooner than everyone thinks.”
Although talk had circulatedthroughout the Southern University community that Tarver submitted a letter ofresignation to system chairman Johnny Anderson on Feb. 11, both men consideredthe account as hearsay.
“He hasn’t presented a letter,nor has he made any indications so far that he will,” Anderson said.
Some in Southern’s community areprepared for Tarver to make a formal announcement, which could possibly be asearly as this week.
“If he is retiring and he feelsthe need to step down, then that would be a good thing,” said Jabari Morgan,outreach recruiter for the SUBR Educational Talent Search and SU Class of 2000alum.
Tarver, 62, is currently servingin his eighth year as president, a residency longer than his predecessors andmost university presidents. However, he has not reached the required tenure often years or the retirement age of 65 to retire with full benefits.
If he does resign, a nationalsearch would be conducted for Southern’s fifth system president. Recently,figures in academia and legislature, including system vice president ofadministration and management Ralph Slaughter and U.S. Congressman WilliamJefferson, D-New Orleans, have been rumored to be interested in the job.
State senator Cleo Fields,D-Baton Rouge, La., name was also mentioned as a name in the hat. BothSlaughter and Jefferson have reportedly denied interest in the position.
Fields was not available forcomment.
However, local Southernsupporter Ron Sutton, who is also the business development manager for theBaton Rouge Coca Cola Bottling Company, said his choice for the system’s nexthelmsman should be none other than the author of Southern’s fight song, Dr.Huel Perkins.
Perkins is the special assistantto Louisiana State University Chancellor Sean O’Keefe.
“If President Tarver is going tostep down as he says, then I hope they select someone who has ‘presidentialqualities,'” Sutton said. “If Perkins puts his name in the hat, then thebusiness and educational community would see Southern in a whole differentlight.”
Perkins, flattered by Sutton’srecommendation, doesn’t want the job.
“This doesn’t surprise me. Thevery first time the position came up after Felton G. Clark retired, someone mentionedmy name,” Perkins said.
“Thanks, but no thanks. I’m notinterested. I’m about to retire from everything.”
Jerrica Williams, a freshmanbusiness management major from Baton Rouge, said that she had little concernabout Tarver leaving. She said since he rarely made appearances with thestudents, she hoped the new president would do better interacting with them.
“I haven’t heard anything abouthim until the retirement issue came up,” Williams said. “It’s important thatthe new one will become more ‘student-friendly’ and take a more active role ingetting to know the incoming classes. As freshmen, we need to know who ourleaders are, especially him.”
Morgan, like other Southernsupporters, is not opposed to change in the university’s system. But he is criticalof the consequences.
“Change will always happen,” hesaid. “Now whether the change is good or bad is the question. The end resultwill dictate the outcome.”