Southeastern Louisiana University Presidential Search Committee Selects Five Candidates to Interview

 

Hammond, La. – Five candidates will be extended invitations to interview for the position of president of Southeastern Louisiana University. Interviews are slated to be conducted on the Hammond campus the week of Feb. 9 and will be open to the public.

The search committee charged with recommending candidates to the Board of Supervisors for the University of Louisiana System met today in Hammond to review applications and narrow the field for campus interviews. Prior to their review, the committee received a report from search consultant Betty Asher of Greenwood/Asher and Associates who presented four new candidate applications bringing the total candidate pool to 19. The full resumes for each applicant are available at www.ulsystem.edu/slucandidates.

“This was an excellent pool of candidates,” said University of Louisiana System President and Search Chair Randy Moffett. “The role of a university president is diverse. The committee considered senior administrative and classroom experience as well as wanted someone who could work with faculty, staff, students, alumni, and the community.”

The five semi-finalists selected for interviews are: ·

 Linda L. M. Bennett, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and Professor at the University of Southern Indiana. Bennett earned a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Cincinnati.

· Nick J. Bruno, Vice President for Business and Finance at the University of Louisiana System. Bruno earned a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from the University of Mississippi.

· John L. Crain, Interim President of Southeastern Louisiana University. Crain earned a Ph.D. in Accountancy from the University of Mississippi.

· Michael D. Shonrock, Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management and Associate Professor at Texas Tech University. Shonrock earned a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration at the University of Kansas.

· Karen A. White, Senior Advisor for Urban and Metropolitan University Initiatives and Professor at the University of South Florida. White earned an A.Mus.D. in Violin Performance from the University of Arizona.

Following public interviews in early February, the search committee will deliberate and recommend at least two candidates to the Board of Supervisors for the University of Louisiana System, who will make the final selection.

Voting members of the 10-member committee include UL System Board Members Andre Coudrain of Hammond, Elsie Burkhalter of Slidell, Russell Mosely of Baton Rouge, Wayne Parker of Ruston, Winfred Sibille of Sunset, and Student Board Member Morgan Verrette of Lake Charles. Also serving as a voting member is Southeastern Faculty Senate Representative Joseph Burns.

Serving in a non-voting, advisory capacity are Southeastern Student Government Association President Zealon Solomon and community representative Daryl Ferrara who was selected by the Hammond Chamber of Commerce. UL System President Randy Moffett serves as the non-voting chair.

With more than 15,000 students, Southeastern is Louisiana’s third largest public university. The university was recently named "a great college to work for" by the Chronicle of Higher Education. Since 1990, Southeastern has been one of the fastest growing universities in the state, with an enrollment growth that has exceeded the state average. At the same time, the university increased admission requirements and its regional and statewide profile. This fall, the percentage of incoming freshmen with an ACT of 24 or above increased 19 percent.

The university is a catalyst for economic development along I-12, playing a central role in workforce development, strategic partnerships, the generation and transfer of ideas and technology and enhancing the quality of life in communities throughout the region.

For more information about the Southeastern search, including the advertisement placed in local and national publications and an independent review of the Southeastern campus, visit the UL System’s website at www.ulsystem.edu and click on the Southeastern search icon.

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