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The South Carolina State University Board of Trustees voted to name Dr. Leonard McIntyre the interim president of the university Thursday.
After emerging from an hour-long executive session held via conference call, the board picked McIntyre by a 10-1 vote, with only trustee Charles Williams voting against him. McIntyre previously served as dean of the College of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences.
"I am honored to serve SCSU as interim president and will do everything possible to prepare the university for new leadership once the board of trustees has made its decision," McIntyre said in a statement released by the university.
"I sincerely believe the greatest challenge today is to prepare students to meet the demands posed by a fast and ever changing, high-tech, multicultural society, and as I serve our 111-year-old institution, it is my goal to provide leadership in developing, achieving and maintaining the best possible programs and services to assure each student is provided the richest educational experience possible," he said.
Williams had suggested that former interim President Ernest Finney, the retired chief justice of the S.C. Supreme Court, be considered for the post.
"He's a proven, past interim president," Williams said.
His motion did not receive a second from the board. Trustee Lumus Byrd then made the motion to accept McIntyre.
Board Chairman Maurice Washington said that McIntyre is exceedingly qualified to serve the university in this time of transition.
"He is a proven academic leader," Washington said.
The appointment of McIntyre as interim president caps a tumultuous week for S.C. State. On Tuesday, the board voted to oust President Dr. Andrew Hugine Jr. via a telephone conference call. Trustees voted to not renew Hugine's contract and to immediately place him on administrative leave. Hugine's last day as president will be Jan. 4, 2008.
The board met early Thursday morning to discuss the characteristics they desire in the next president. They also voted to approve a request for proposals to commission an outside firm to assist in the nationwide search for the next president.
Washington outlined several objectives he hopes to accomplish during the search. They include generating an institutional consensus to bring the campus together and creating leadership to help in the transition of a new president.
Washington said the board will appoint a search committee comprised of alumni, students and friends of the university to pick the school's tenth president.
Williams proposed that no board members could be employed by the university as a part of the new president's cabinet. The board unanimously agreed with Williams' idea.
After no motion was made in the morning, the board decided to reconvene late Thursday afternoon. They then named McIntyre interim president.
McIntyre has more than 30 years of experience in education and administration. He has served as state deputy of education for the State Department of Education's Division of Professional Development and School Quality, as well as the superintendent for Hampton School District 2.
The New Orleans native graduated from Loyola University with a degree in Spanish. He received his master's from Tulane University and his doctorate in educational administration from Iowa State University.
He has participated in leadership training programs at Harvard University, Columbia Teachers College and is a graduate of the Center for Creative Leadership.
McIntyre is responsible for securing and serving as the project director for a $5 million grant awarded to S.C. State entitled "Textbooks and Learning Materials Program." The grant will allow at least 1 million textbooks to be printed and distributed in Tanzania and the island nation of Zanzibar in east Africa.
He is a member of the S.C. Association of Teacher Educators, S.C. Association of Black School Educators, American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education and is the incoming president of the S.C. Association for Colleges of Teacher Education.
T&D Staff Writer Lee Tant can be reached by e-mail at ltant@times anddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-534-1060. Discuss this and other stories at TheTandD.com.