AGB Search consultants opened a series of public listening sessions at Jackson State University to gather faculty, staff, student, alumni and community input for the university's presidential search. The consultants said notes from the sessions plus an online survey will be synthesized into a presidential profile that will "inform all the advertisements" and recruitment work for the national search.

The profile will answer four questions the consultants asked every stakeholder to address: the top two or three attributes the next president should possess; the main opportunities or challenges facing the university; what the president should accomplish in the first two years; and what is going well now. "The profile is our North Star," said Carlton Brown, senior search consultant with AGB Search, explaining how the document will guide screening and interview questions.

Students, faculty and staff described repeated concerns they want reflected in the profile. Many students asked for a visible president who will meet with student government and student organizations regularly; many faculty and staff urged the search to prioritize candidates with fundraising experience and demonstrated success building research capacity. Several speakers noted the process is confidential for candidates and said nominations and contacts can be submitted to AGB Search during the recruitment window.

Consultants said the committee will review applicants against a rubric built from the profile; after an open application period they expect to identify a semifinal slate for deeper vetting and background checks before finalists are presented. Don Clark, who identified himself during the session as an IHL trustee, and other board representatives listened to the sessions; consultants said the board has been engaged throughout the process. The consultants asked attendees to share the survey link with peers and community members who could not attend in person.

The listening sessions and the survey are intended to produce a profile that is specific enough to attract candidates with relevant experience and to screen out applicants who do not match Jackson State's articulated needs. The search consultants said the timeline aims to identify a new president before the end of the academic year but noted hiring dates must accommodate confidentiality and candidates' ability to transition from their current roles.