Some at Norfolk State University Are Unhappy About the Secrecy Surrounding the Search for a New President

Norfolk State University, the historically black educational institution in Virginia, is currently seeking a new president. Carolyn W. Meyers stepped down as president earlier this year after serving four years of a five-year contract.

An 11-member committee is currently reviewing applicants for the position of president and is expected to recommend a candidate to the university board in the near future. But some in the campus community are upset because the process is being conducted in secret. Faculty, alumni, and student representatives are not being consulted about the candidates. Other public universities in Virginia have conducted searches for presidents and other top administrators with candidates being identified and scrutinized by all constituencies of the university community.