Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning’s board announced Thursday it will begin its official search process for selecting a new president at Jackson State University, three months after the position became vacant. 

The former university president, Marcus Thompson, resigned in May, the third departure 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.  

Gee Ogletree, president of the IHL board, said selecting a university president is not easy. He asked members of the public who were present at the meeting to assist with thoughts, prayers and suggestions throughout the process. 

“The committee search involves us walking a very fine line, respecting the need for transparency and openness to the public but also respecting the need for confidentiality for those who will put their name up for potential selection, who would be potentially recruited and interviewed,” Ogletree said. 

Steve Cunningham, vice president of the IHL board, will chair the search committee. He and Ogletree served on the committee that resulted in Thompson’s appointment as university president in 2023. For the university’s leadership search this time, all 12 trustee members will serve on the committee. 

The IHL board said it launched a landing page on its website for the public to receive status updates on the search process. Students, faculty, staff, alumni and supporters of Jackson State University are also invited to submit comments through the webpage. The board reiterated its commitment to a transparent and collaborative process at Jackson State, Ogletree said.

“Jackson State, like every other university, deserves our commitment and our best and I will give you my personal commitment that I will undertake that,” he said. “Having worked with these trustees, I know they will do the same.” 

Members of Thee 1877 Project, a group of alums not affiliated with the national alumni association, submitted its collected survey results from 350 alums to the board on Thursday on leadership traits respondents’ sought in the university’s next chief. Those top qualities listed include values like integrity and ethics, relationship building with politicians and community leaders, financial accountability and strong appreciation for HBCU culture and students. 

The group also submitted a petition and formal public comment with the board. While the board acknowledged submission of these items, Mark Dawson, who chairs the group, said he was disappointed they weren’t allowed to speak or read their statement at the meeting. 

“Like Fannie Lou Hamer said, ‘We didn’t come here for no two seats’,” Dawson said. “Not allowing public comment further shows the lack of transparency with the board. The public should know what constituents are saying, not just about Jackson State, but all citizens of the state of Mississippi should be concerned with by not having a clear process.”

In a letter obtained by Mississippi Today, Al Rankins, commissioner of the IHL board, responded to members of the group stating that the board’s standard practice is to “reply to written submissions rather than oral presentation at Board meetings.” Mississippi’s Open Meetings Act does not require public comment at civic and government meetings. 

Members said they wished the board would acknowledge past mistakes in selecting presidents for JSU and address some lessons they learned from previous search processes. For the group, what they see as the board’s disregard for accountability or openness to change the process instills a lack of trust. 

“We want a determining stake and seat at the table where we can ‘yes’ and ‘no’ candidates just like the board members do,” Dawson said. “I don’t have any confidence right now. Certainly, I give them a chance to say and hear more. There’s still more questions.” 

Other alumni questioned who will hold the board accountable now that there is no one but the trustees on the search committee. 

“Nobody apparently,” said Monica Smith, a 1985 JSU alum. 

According to IHL board policies, it has two options when it searches for a new university president. It could extend a search that includes hiring a consultant, appointing an advisory board, launching a survey and conducting a series of community listening sessions with constituents before moving forward to post the job and interview candidates. 

It could also expedite the process in which trustees interview candidates that are “known to the board.” IHL has received repeated criticism about its history of elevating internal hires and appointing interim leaders. 

Denise Jones-Gregory, the current interim president at Jackson State, did not respond to Mississippi Today’s questions at the meeting about her interest in becoming the university’s permanent leader.