Hit with a recent no-confidence vote from the Faculty Senate and facing an uncertain contract renewal, Dr. Kofi Lomotey resigned as chancellor of the Southern University Baton Rouge campus.
A Nov. 26 press release from the university stated that Lomotey “officially tendered his resignation today at Southern’s Board of Supervisors’ meeting in New Orleans. Lomotey, who has been chancellor since 2008, did not comment on his decision.”
Lomotey’s contract, which began in July 2008, is set to expire next month. The board was scheduled to vote on renewing it at the Nov. 26 meeting but instead unanimously accepted his resignation. The supervisors also agreed to have Lomotey continue through June while a search is conducted for a new chancellor.
“It was the chancellor’s own decision,” outgoing board chairman Tony Clayton told Diverse. “He is one of the smartest human beings I have ever met, but there was a budget crisis facing him. He did what he thought was in the best interest of the university.”
Student Government Association President Demetrius Sumner said Lomotey failed to garner the support and cooperation he needed from students, faculty, staff and alumni. “Unfortunately, there existed fundamental, irreconcilable differences between these entities that prompted the chancellor’s resignation,” Sumner said. “Chancellor Lomotey’s administration was unsuccessful at getting the other bodies of the institution on board with its plan or vision for the university. Instead, many felt removed from the conversation about how to move us forward.”
Lomotey’s resignation appeases the Faculty Senate, which sent him a 12-point list of “failures,” including the creation of a $120,000 professorship without faculty input — and without an endowment, failure to increase student enrollment and student retention during his tenure and lack of external fundraising.
In his response to the Senate’s complaints, Lomotey cited 27 of his accomplishments including raising $1.4 million for the new Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence, forming a campuswide team to address grievances about customer service and establishing the chancellor’s lecture series.
