Alcorn State hosts listening sessions during president search

Published 12:09 am Friday, February 14, 2014

NATCHEZ — Members of a search committee tasked with finding the next president of Alcorn State University will hear from students, faculty, alumni and community leaders Wednesday at the university’s Lorman campus.

The discussions will center on the qualities and qualifications stakeholders believe the next president should possess.

The campus listening sessions will be hosted in the Clinton Bristow Jr. Dining Hall.

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A webcast of the sessions will be broadcasted in the graduate school of business auditorium on the Natchez campus.

Those attending in Natchez will have the opportunity to provide comments via teleconference with the Lorman campus.

While all sessions are open to the public, each session focuses on the needs of a specific constituency group.

Faculty, staff and administration will meet at 9 a.m., followed by students at 9:45 a.m. and alumni and community members at 10:30 a.m. A luncheon for community leaders will be at 11:30 a.m. at the faculty dining room.

Alcorn’s 18th president M. Christopher Brown II resigned in December amid an investigation into university purchasing.

Norris Edney, a former interim president at Alcorn and Natchez-Adams School District Board of Trustee chairman, began serving as acting president of the institution shortly after Brown’s resignation.

Edney was serving as interim dean of the university’s nursing program, which is located on the university’s Natchez campus.

According to board policy, the acting president is not eligible to apply for the permanent position.

Alcorn’s main campus is located in Lorman, with satellite campuses in Natchez and Vicksburg. The historically black university is fully accredited with seven schools and degree programs in more than 50 areas, including a nursing program.