Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning board of trustees is seeking proposals from executive search firms to assist with Jackson State University’s president search. 

The state’s college governing board which oversees and selects the historically Black university’s leaders said Wednesday that the firm will help identify and recruit candidates for the search process. The news comes three weeks after officials made public plans to launch a search committee, where all 12 trustee members will serve. 

Marcus Thompson resigned as university president in May, the third person to depart from that post in seven years. The state’s college governing board did not explain why he or his two predecessors left the post nor has it shared with the public details about its next steps for picking a permanent leader for the school. 

Alumni and supporters of the historically Black university have raised questions to the board about its opaque process, calling for a fair, transparent national leadership search for the university.  

The IHL board’s formal request for proposals can be viewed on its website. The deadline for submission is Sept. 12. 

In 2023, IHL hired Academic Search, an executive headhunting firm, for $115,000 after Thomas Hudson, Thompson’s predecessor, resigned. The board also paid the firm $85,000 for the Delta State search. 

The initial contract with Academic Search for Delta State was $130,000, but it was amended after the board cut the search short and chose Daniel Ennis. The board also used the firm for University of Southern Mississippi search. 

Founded in 1877, Jackson State, Mississippi’s largest HBCU, is located in the state’s capital city. The university serves more than 6,000 students with 520 faculty and offers 90 academic programs.