Florida Atlantic University is back to square one in its hunt for a new leader, as the state's Board of Governors has mandated a fresh start for the school's presidential search. The Board, keen to alter the rules overseeing how such searches are conducted, has put FAU's quest on ice, meaning an interim president will continue to steer the ship potentially deep into next year, as reported by the Miami Herald. It's anticipated that the process, to on-hold since July, won't be able to begin anew until at least late January after the Board's own proposed revisions take effect.
Though the Presidential Search Committee initially surfaced three final contenders, allegations of legal non-compliance caused the state university system Chancellor Ray Rodrigues to slam the brakes on the search — a move that subsequently triggered a lengthy report by the Board of Governors' inspector general into the process. "The reality is that the process didn't work right. And even if it produced good candidates, that could be fruit from a poison tree. And it's not something that we should ever entertain," Board of Governors member Alan Levine told the Miami Herald in regard to the aborted search.
The Board's inspector general identified several key issues, including an anonymous survey that flouted Florida's Sunshine Law, and improper withholding of information from the search committee. Their probe spanned several months, analyzed thousands of emails, hundreds of documents, and dozens of interview and meeting hours. FAU's use of certain questionnaires that delved into candidates' sexuality was also cited as problematic. In the meantime, FAU's board must wait for an updated set of rules from the state board, which could introduce stricter guidance and possibly bar individuals from holding dual roles across trustee boards and search committees, as noted by Miami Herald.
While there was much speculation that the search's halting was politically motivated, Alan Levine pushed back on such claims, stating firmly, "A lot of public things were said, a lot of editorials were written, a lot of news articles contained fact errors that this process was paused because a certain candidate didn't get the job. That just simply doesn't bear out to be the truth. The law was broken, the Sunshine Law was violated," according to the Miami Herald. Rodriquez's July halt and the subsequent investigation have led to this point, and the future of FAU's presidential search is now bound to significantly revamped guidelines - changes that will be pondered during a January 24 Board of Governors meeting.
Coverage from WPTV also noted the current uncertainty surrounding when the selection process could effectively restart. An interim president continues to oversee the university's operations as the search for a permanent replacement has been stalled and is set to enter a new phase following the adoption of revised guidelines.
