WVSU narrows presidential search to three | The Charleston Gazette

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Three candidates from outside West Virginia are on the shortlist for the top job at West Virginia State University.

After a four-month national search, members of the WVSU presidential search committee whittled down the candidates to Brian O'Harold Hemphill, vice president for student affairs at Northern Illinois University, Alicia L. Jackson, dean of the school of business at Susquehanna University in Pennsylvania, and Donna H. Oliver, president of Mississippi Valley State University.

"It's been a long process and this is an excellent array of candidates," said Larry Rowe, chairman of West Virginia State's Board of Governors. "I am very pleased with the level of education and experience of the final candidates and especially their enthusiasm for the university's mission."

The 15-member presidential search advisory committee -- comprising faculty, staff, students, business leaders and Board of Governors members -- formed in January to find a replacement for longtime university President Hazo Carter, who will step down June 30.

Carter announced in August that he would resign in June, one week after he received a vote of no confidence from the university's Faculty Senate. Many faculty members blamed Carter for West Virginia State's steep enrollment decline, for bungling community relations and fundraising, and steering the Institute-based school into a $3.5 million budget deficit.

He will continue to collect his full $167,444-a-year salary until 2014.

For more on this story, go to The Charleston Gazette.

Photos:  Alicia L. Jackson (top left) and Donna H. Oliver (bottom right) along with Brian O'Harold Hemphill  are the three finalists selected by the Board of Governor's presidential search advisory committee to replace Hazo W. Carter, Jr. as State's next president.  All three will be on campus next week to meet with faculty, staff, students and the public.