2 university heads among candidates for UL presidency

• By JORDAN BLUM
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: May 10, 2008 - Page: 1B - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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Southeastern Louisiana University President Randy Moffett, the University of Louisiana at Monroe president and a former top aide to Gov. Kathleen Blanco highlight the list of applicants for the University of Louisiana System presidency.

Nine candidates who met the tentative May 2 application deadline are vying to replace UL System President Sally Clausen.

She is leaving in June to become the state’s commissioner of higher education. Clausen is succeeding Joseph Savoie, who is becoming the new University of Louisiana at Lafayette president.

Completing the circle, Savoie is replacing the retiring UL-Lafayette president, Ray Authement, who is the search consultant to find the next UL System president.

The UL System is comprised of ULL, SLU, ULM and five other universities. The system is the state’s largest with more than 80,000 students.

Apart from Moffett, the other internal UL System president applicants are ULM President Jim Cofer and UL System Executive Vice President Kim Hunter Reed, who had previously served as Blanco’s deputy chief of staff.

Moffett was out of town Friday and would not comment.

But in an e-mail response, he said, “I have informed the faculty and staff at Southeastern Louisiana University that I have been nominated and have subsequently applied for the position of president of the University of Louisiana System.

“I have every confidence in the search process and the judgment of the (UL System) Board of Supervisors,” Moffett wrote.

Cofer sent an e-mail to ULM employees saying he had applied.

Other applicants thus far are:

• Michael Bestul, Fairmont State University vice president in West Virginia.
• Jerome Greene, Mississippi Valley State University graduate program coordinator.
• Tito Guerrero III, Texas A&M University vice president. Guerrero also applied for the LSU chancellor position.
• Juanita Johnson, ITI Technical College instructor.
• Gary Stroud, Franklin State University business studies chairman in Ohio.
• Ronald White, Center for Advanced Space Studies senior fellow in Houston.

Candidate interviews are expected in May, and a new president is expected to be hired by the end of June.

An advisory search committee meets Monday to begin reviewing applications.

The full UL System Board of Supervisors ultimately will have the final say about who is the next system president.