Members of JSU express qualities they want to see in next President

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - It’s been more than a month since Jackson State University has been without an official president.

Faculty, staff, and students are voicing what they want to see in their next leader at the listening session held Wednesday.

Along with faculty, members of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning gathered on the campus of Jackson State to hear the qualities and qualifications stakeholders believe the next university president should possess.

They all expressed their concerns at the microphone before seven board committee members.

“The thing that we want here in our next president is really the communication,” Jason Johnson said. “Often times we always hear things but it really never gets back to the student body.”

Former JSU president Thomas K. Hudson resigned back in March. IHL later appointed long-time JSU employee Dr. Elayne Hayes-Anthony as the University’s acting president.

“It’s time out for games, we need you all to be intentional this time around, Dr. Sophia Leggett said.

Professors like Dr. Leggett say she’s ready to see long term change for the sake of students and the university.

“A relationship should be on that takes us up and not down. So, our next leader needs to be one that takes us up because we have been down for so long,” Dr. Leggett said.

Dr. Steven Cunningham, the Chair of search committee agrees that listening sessions like this one are important when choosing school leaders.

He also says this is the just first step In this process, and says it can take several months before the university sees a new official president.

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