Florida Atlantic University is preparing to launch a search for a new president after state higher education officials halted the process last year.
The FAU Board of Trustees is scheduled to take initial steps toward selecting a search firm to assist in the search for a new leader at its meeting Tuesday. The board will also define the responsibilities of the search committee. FAU, in Boca Raton, has been led by interim President Stacey Bolnick for nearly two years after then-President John Kelly announced his retirement in 2022.
But the search for a more permanent president was halted last summer at the direction of State University System Chancellor Ray Rodriguez, who said there were “anomalies” in the search process. In December, Rodriguez ordered the university to start the search over again.
A document posted on FAU's website touted that the school graduated a “record number of students” in May, 3,600. The school also reported receiving 47,000 applications from prospective students for the fall 2024 semester, which FAU said was a 27 percent increase over the previous year.
“To continue on this trajectory, Florida Atlantic University's next president must have the vision, temperament and experience to seize the opportunities and overcome the challenges the university will face as it leads and educates the next generation of thinkers and innovators,” the document reads.
The new president is expected to be named in early 2025. Once the search committee convenes, it plans to produce an “unranked” list of candidates for the board in January.
The final selection must be approved by the Board of Regents and the university system's board of trustees.
This story was provided by the News Service of Florida.
