Alabama State University News August 8, 2014 Board Elects New Leadership Alabama State University's Board of Trustees elected new officers and welcomed two new trustees during a special meeting called by Gov. Robert Bentley. Larry Thornton was elected to serve as chairman of the Board and Locy Baker as vice chairman. Thornton is a 1975 graduate of ASU and a longtime benefactor of the University. He is a nationally recognized entrepreneur and a prominent artist. He also serves on the board of directors of the Coca-Cola Bottling Company United Inc. and First Commercial Bank. Baker, whose business enterprises include several counseling and therapeutic centers in South Alabama and Montgomery, earned three degrees from Alabama State University. Thornton said while the Board has a number of challenges to face, he believes that those challenges can be overcome. "I think what we have to do is bring some unity among the Board," Thornton said. "We have some serious challenges ahead of us. We find ourselves in a place that I don't think any of us want to be, and the only way that we'll get out of that is for us to work together. So, I'll be reaching out (to Board members)... all weekend long trying to talk about just that. I'm convinced that around our Board table, we have everything that we need to be successful." Newly appointed Board members Pamela Ware and Ralph Ruggs were sworn in by Bentley at the start of the meeting. Both are ASU graduates whom Bentley described as "fine" additions to the Board. "I am very excited about this new Board that we have in place," said Bentley. "I'm excited about our great President that we have here at ASU. I am relieved to see where we are at this time. Time will tell, but I believe that today will be a turning point for Alabama State University." The Board also discussed the University's response to two letters from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACS COC) placing the University in a "warning" status. During her report, President Gwendolyn E. Boyd announced that she had established a committee made up of representatives from across the campus to formulate a response to SACS. The committee is being assisted by Charles Nash of the University of Alabama who has "extensive experience" with SACS. The committee's work addresses each of the six items noted in SACS' letter and provides proposals for how the University should move forward in terms of a number of areas, including financial practices and internal controls. "We want to continue to reinforce that this is a warning (from SACS)," said Boyd. "Because there is a lot of misinformation that we have been sanctioned beyond and above that and have lost our accreditation, which is not true. We are only on warning for six months with the items that have been identified to be responded to." In an interview after the meeting, Bentley echoed Boyd's comments about the SACS letters and pointed out that another major university in the state had been under a SACS warning and emerged successfully. "This was just a warning. I do believe that all of the issues are being addressed. So, we're going to move forward and address all of the questions, all of the issues that SACS has, and hopefully we'll be able to remove this warning very quickly." Boyd also introduced two new members of the President's Cabinet - Chief of Staff Bernard E. Houston and Vice President of Institutional Advancement Zillah M. Fluker - both of whom are ASU alums. She also recognized the University's new director of Human Resources, Ed Moore, who is a 1979 graduate of the University. Boyd also thanked all of those who helped to organize the 30 Days of ASU Campaign and the Sting-A-Thon. She reported that so far, the initiative has raised more than $126,000 from 700 donors, 27% of whom were new donors. The tally rose to $127,000 with a donation during the meeting from Trustee Taylor Hodge. "I think that the 30 Days of ASU clearly shows how people across the nation continue to love and support Alabama State University," said Boyd. "I also think it sends a strong, positive statement to Moody's and to SACS that people are willing to support the University and to help to make sure that our students have everything they need to be successful." The next meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for September. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 800-999-8558, ext. 4820 404-702-5854 Skype: sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree NW Suite 200 Atlanta,GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (LYRASIS) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children. Register now http://www.hbculibraries.org/html/2014meeting-form.html for the October 26-28, 2014 HBCU Library Alliance 6th Membership Meeting in Atlanta GA!