Chase for a Chancellor

What is a Chancellor? Merriam-Webster defines the word Chancellor as “the chief executive officer in some state systems of higher education,” but what truly is the meaning of this role? Is it to raise funds? Is it to influence thought? Is it just another position to fill? The Southern University Search Committee along with other system members, the Board of Supervisors, faculty, staff, students, and the Southern Digest, tuned in to the public interviews of the 3 semifinalists for the Chancellor position to answer these exact questions.
On Tuesday, February 6, 2024, the first sessions of the search interviews commenced beginning with the first candidate, Dr. Calvin McFadden, Former President of Arkansas Baptist College. “I am absolutely overjoyed to be here with you all today,” McFadden began his speech. A third-generation educator serving at Florida A&M University, Bristol Community College, and Norwalk Community College, McFadden is someone who believes that “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world”—a quote popularized by Nelson Mandela.
After displaying his educational accomplishments, McFadden took the time to define what leadership meant to him stating, “A leader is someone who listens well, can effectively motivate and inspire, and provides a team with a thoughtful vision and strategic direction.” In terms of direction, McFadden presented a concept titled “One SUBR” that emphasized collaboration and connection for “mutual success.” By supporting students, owning his contributions, and advancing equity, McFadden hopes, if selected to be Chancellor, to “cultivate a community of trust and integrity,” as stated in his presentation.
Later on Tuesday, the second candidate, Chancellor John Pierre, J.D. shared his vision for Southern University under his chancellorship. Native to Loreauville, LA, Chancellor Pierre reflects how earning his first degree in accounting from Southern revealed opportunities previously unfathomable. “But most importantly, I’ve been able to be a great faculty member and contributor to the Southern University System and the Law Center,” Pierre shares, having been an integral community member for over 30 years. The chancellor began his presentation with the notion of a “communiversity”—an atmosphere that promotes students to excel, and according to Pierre, will “produce leaders who can speak truth to power.”
He continued by examining three highlighted issues that contribute to Southern’s current image: residential living availability, respect, and retention. One solution is the implementation of assessment tools prior to midterms as a means of tracking student progress. “We’ve got to care about how we get students to the end… Those are extremely important things. And then we’ve
got to treat each other better. we’ve got to respect everybody…” Pierre states. “We have to each and every student as if they are the prize.”
Then, on Wednesday, February 7, the third candidate, Dr. Carmen Walters took the main stage. After expressing her enthusiasm to be amongst the Jaguar Nation, she offered a presentation to the committee titled “Together We Will…” Briefly touching on her background with 24 years serving in higher education at Tougaloo College, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, and Delgado Community College, to name a few, Walters took time to touch on Imagine 20K: the strategic plan developed for Southern University’s advancement in enrollment, aesthetics, and academics, originally presented by former system president Dr. Ray L. Belton in 2019. “When you select a new president, you will have to decide where you are in this plan–did you meet your goals? Did you meet half of your goals? Are you going to redo the plan…?”
In her own examination of Imagine 20K, Walters assessed the effectiveness of the goals and offered to form a companion plan that included cross-collaboration between departments to, in Walters’ words, “Push the University further into excellence.” The plan would provide specific tasks, budget details, timelines, and a dashboard for updates to track the success of the collective efforts. “If you put the teams together you can accomplish this. You can use target marketing to look for adult Learners and to recruit people from all over the world. Not just in our country, not just in a few countries, but all over the world.”
To follow more updates on the selection of the Chancellor, the search committee “encourages the participation and input of the entire Southern University community in the search” by visiting https://www.sus.edu/page/overview-subr-chancellor-search. Stay connected with the Southern Digest as we cover the unfolding details about the selection of the next University Chancellor.