Diverse Issues in Higher Education October 4, 2012 Fisk University Nears the End of its Presidential Search by Reginald Stuart Dr. John Wilson, executive director of the White House Initiative on HBCUs, is rumored to be a finalist for Fisk University's next president. Fisk University, racing in a crowded field of institutions in search of new presidents, is set to interview three finalists tomorrow for its top job, say sources familiar with the presidential search process at the Nashville university and other institutions. Trustees of the historic university are to meet with two men and a woman drawn from a field of several dozen prospects gathered since the university began its search in mid-summer. The Friday sessions, with each candidate meeting separately with trustees, are the first indication that any of the more than a dozen HBCU search committees have reached what would appear to be a home stretch in the highly competitive searches. Fisk is aiming to have a new chief executive named before retiring President Hazel O'Leary departs in late December. Separately, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) meets in early December. Fisk is trying to win a clean bill of health from SACS, the principal ratings agency for most institutions of higher learning in the South. SACS placed the university on probation in December 2011, citing the university's continued failure to comply with a range of key SACS standards, including demonstration of financial viability and quality of its leadership. Prior to being placed on probation, Fisk had been on warning status for two years for some of the same reasons. The accrediting agency will decide at its December meeting what actions to take next regarding Fisk, based on a "monitoring" report filed with the agency several weeks ago and a SACS site committee visit set for early next week. University officials, following the industry custom of keeping prospect identities confidential for as long as possible, have been mum on the status and details of the presidential candidate search. Sources close to the matter, however, say the finalists include Hampton University Provost Dr. Pamela V. Hammond and Dr. John Wilson, chief of the White House Initiative on Black Colleges. It could not be determined what Fisk's plan of action is, should trustees agree on one of the three candidates or whether any of the candidates, if offered the job, would withhold an answer pending the outcome of other presidential searches in which they may be involved. Wilson, for example, is widely known to have an interest in the presidency of Morehouse College. Morehouse is among several universities said to be several months away from narrowing its search to its top three candidates. Florida A&M University, North Carolina Central University and Fisk's neighbor, Tennessee State University, all on the hunt for a president, are generally at the same stage as Morehouse, observers say. Fisk, which is set to launch a $30 million capital campaign later this fall, has said in the past that it needs close to $100 million to secure the university's future. It recently raised $30 million cash from the controversial sale of half interest in parts of its treasured collection of art and photographs. While much of that amount was used to pay bills and restore its endowment, the university set aside $5 million for its new president to use as he or she sees fit for new initiatives. While most observers see the amount as small compared to what an institution needs to thrive over time, they say it could serve as a lure to a prospect considering taking on the top job at Fisk. 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 404-520-0593 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/2012meeting-form.html for the October 21-23, 2012 HBCU Library Alliance 5th Membership Meeting and the Photographic Preservation Pre-Conference in New Orleans, LA. The Pre-Conference and Membership meeting are open to directors and other librarians.