Who should be the next president at Savannah State University?

Answers to the question can now be shared by the public with the people making many of the vital decisions in the search. A presidential search “public input survey” was released over the weekend by AGB Search, the national firm guiding a search committee of 12 through the interview process to find the school’s next leader. The search committee was appointed by the University System of Georgia Board of Regents (BOR) and met for the first time together on July 18 on the campus of Savannah State. Once the search committee recommends three to five candidates, it’ll be the BOR deciding which of them becomes the next president.

The public input survey can be accessed here. It asks users to give the desired traits, attributes, skills, characteristics, etc. of an ideal Savannah State University (SSU) presidential candidate.
“Your input will be most helpful as we work with the search committee to craft a search profile and advertisement that will attract candidates and clearly state the university’s aspirations for your next president,” says the top of the survey. “This is your opportunity to share your thoughts and ideas about presidential priorities as we begin evaluating candidates.”
One of the four questions asked on the survey is: “What are the 2-3 most important opportunities that await the next president?”

There are also opportunities for users of the survey to submit confidential candidate recommendations as well as a space designated for general comments and feedback. Submitting input through the public input survey hosted by AGB Search is one way to get involved in the process.

“This is your opportunity to share your thoughts and ideas about presidential priorities as we begin evaluating candidates.”

Attending a listening session scheduled for Aug. 29 at SSU is another, more intimate way of doing so. The scheduling of the Aug. 29 listening sessions was arranged and agreed upon during the committee’s initial meeting in July. They were previously unreleased facts first reported by Connect Savannah. When the public input survey was released on the official SSU presidential search website last weekend, so too were the listening session specifics.

“We will be hosting listening sessions for faculty, staff, students and community members on the campus of Savannah State University on Thursday, Aug. 29,” says a community feedback portion of the website. “The goal of these listening sessions is to hear from you about the qualities and qualifications that you seek in the next president. Separate sessions have been specifically designated for each group. However, if you are unable to attend at your scheduled time, you are welcome to join any of these sessions. For those interested in participating but cannot attend in person, you have the option of joining virtually.”

Cynthia Robinson Alexander is the current SSU Interim President and has been since July 1, 2023. Although no official timeline for making a hire has been clearly spelled out, the search website says applications (submitted through AGB’s search portal) from candidates are being accepted before the listening sessions and for two more months following them.

“The search committee for the president will begin reviewing and evaluating applications as they are received,” the website says. “For full consideration, applications should be received by October 29, 2024. The search committee will continue its work until an appointment is made.”

All three sessions will be held in Elmore Theater, located within the King Frazier Student Center on the campus of Savannah State University. Search committee members, as well as two AGB Search representatives, are expected to be in the sessions and there to inform attendees, answer their questions, and receive their feedback. Specific start times, hyperlinks to virtually attend, and expected audiences (faculty, alumni, community, students, etc.) for each of the three Aug. 29 sessions are listed below.

Session 1: Faculty and Staff
Time: 9:30 a.m.
Virtual link
Session 2: Alumni, Community, SSU Foundation
Time: 10:30 a.m.
Virtual link
Session 3: Students
Time: 11:30 a.m.
Virtual link

This article appears in Connect Savannah I July 2024.