Florida A&M presidential search takes an odd turn
12/18/2024 08:43 PM
Florida A&M University is still searching for a permanent president. The university made significant progress after being delayed twice after seven applicants were asked their stance on diversity, equity, and inclusion. With the latest DEI law bill passed by Florida governor Ron DeSantis, the next president of Florida A&M may not be black.
In a special online meeting on Tuesday, the Board of Trustees at Florida A&M chose Myers McRae as the search company to help a 15-member search committee find and hire candidates for the future president of the university.
“We do look forward to working with you," Board Chair Kristin Harper told the firm’s Chief Operating Officer Barry Hasenkopf on the Zoom call. "Thank you again to all of the firms who participated in this process and for your patience as we got to this point."
The university's search for a new president began earlier this year following the resignation of then president Dr. Larry Robinson. Dr. Robinson's resignation came after the university received a fraudulent $237 million donation from Gregory Gerami during the commencement ceremony back in May. The university received major backlash from members of the Florida A&M community as well as the HBCU community as a whole. Florida A&M alumnus Dr. Timothy Beard was named interim president back in August and is currently serving a one-year term until a new president is hired.
The delay in selection occurred twice in the last two months, the first time being October 15 and two weeks ago on December 5. The DEI question was first raised at the most recent board meeting, which sparked a long discussion about the competing firms’ compliance with Florida’s DEI law and the Florida Board of Governors’ DEI regulation. This was particularly important because all but one of the seven firms, Greenwood/Asher & Associates, are out of state.
The state’s laws also prevent hiring based on DEI criteria, so companies are not required to insist on considering Black or minority candidates, even though HBCUs usually have Black presidents leading their institutions.
Now that a search firm has been selected, Florida A&M can now continue with its search for a new president. To reach Harper’s target of having a new president chosen by June 2025, the university has around six months to choose its next leader.
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