OPINION: Search process for JSU president begins

At its October meeting last week, the College Board shared with the public its initial report from AGB Search. AGB Search is the firm the College Board hired to help secure a permanent president for Jackson State University. The six-phase process was briefly explained by Dr. Kim Bobby, Ed.D., serving as Principal and Dr. Carlton Brown, Ed.D., serving as Senior Executive Search Consultant with AGB Search. They report this entire presidential search and appointment process could take up to 21 weeks to complete.

Phase one of the process, which the firm labels, Initiation and Planning, calls for the establishment of the search team, the setting of communication expectations, and the building of a search timeline. This could take three to four weeks. 

Phase two, labelled Discovery and Profile Development, involves the first committee meetings wherein a confidentiality agreement is reached, a complete timeline is made, a candidate profile is developed, and survey and listening sessions are conducted. This could require six to eight weeks. 

Phase three, the Candidate Recruitment and Assessment phase, includes advertisements, sourcing candidates, and assessing the applicants. This would take two weeks. 

During phase four, referred to as the Semi-Final Stage, preparations for interviews would be made, due diligence would be done, and interviews would be conducted. Phase four would take four to five weeks. 

Phase five, the Finalist and Decision Stage, would consist of the finalist interviews, the finalist due diligence, and the decision and announcement made. That phase would take two weeks. 

Phase six is the Transition stage. It could last up to a year as the new president settles into the position.

The process itself is fairly clear, since it is relatively traditional and generic. Perhaps the only phrases needing further clarifying are “sourcing candidates” and “due diligence.” By sourcing candidates, the firm refers to contacting sources aware of other possible candidates. By due diligence, the firm refers to conducting background checks on the candidates.

After the College Board session ended, private conversations regarding the presidential search report rightly surfaced, revealing many questions and concerns. Among the questions raised are:

(1) Who will select the team members and how extensive will be their role in the process? 

(2) Who will develop and approve the profile that will guide the advertisement and the interviews? 

(3) Who will conduct the surveys and listening sessions? 

(4) Who will conduct the interviews and make the assessments of the candidates? 

Most of all, however, the conversations centered around the skepticism and lack of trust in the College Board itself. Much of what had been outlined by the AGB Search officials had been done in previous searches. Often in the past, the College Board had ignored or rejected the recommendations offered by the search firms and/or advisory teams, and choosing whomever the College Board desired to be JSU president. That is the concern this time around. Many JSU supporters rightly are seeking reform of the JSU presidential selection process.