BATON ROUGE, La. – Five semifinalists for the Southern University System presidency stated their cases Tuesday for why they should lead the nation’s only historically Black college system.
From Jackson State University President Ronald Mason Jr. to former Southern University Chancellor Marvin Yates, each candidate interviewed publicly on campus for nearly an hour.
The Southern Board of Supervisors’ stated goal is to choose a new president by the end of April.
Candidates addressed everything from controversies in their personal careers to how to solve significant budgetary problems at Southern that are ever-present in colleges throughout the state and much of the nation.
Mason, the first person interviewed, admitted it might be a “little unusual” for a sitting president to seek another position. But he argued that Southern represents a great opportunity because of its tradition and “candidly untapped” potential.
Mason previously worked for Tulane University.
Dr. Carolyn Meyers, the outgoing president of Norfolk State University in Virginia with a background in engineering, argued she would boost graduation rates and academic quality at Southern just as she has at Norfolk.
