Students, faculty and alumni tell Jackson State search: fix housing, restore trust and find a proven, student-focused leader

Jackson State University stakeholders used a series of listening sessions led by AGB Search to tell national applicants for the university's next president exactly what they want: an experienced, financially savvy and student-centered leader who will stay and rebuild morale.

Students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members emphasized three recurring needs. First: housing and deferred maintenance. Multiple students and staff said enrollment growth has outpaced available residence halls and underscored safety problems tied to lighting and the campus's open edges. Second: student retention, career readiness and wraparound support for first-generation and low-income students. Speakers asked the next president to strengthen employer partnerships, internships and alumni pipelines so diplomas lead to jobs. Third: trust and institutional stability. Faculty and alumni said frequent leadership turnover and perceived cronyism have weakened shared governance and morale; they pressed for a president who will be on campus long enough to complete multi-year initiatives.

Stakeholders also named qualities they want in a president: higher-education credentials and experience managing a large public campus, proven fundraising ability, skill in working with state legislators and governing boards, and empathy and accessibility toward students and staff. "Empathy and personability is one," said Dasia Hawkins, a residence-life community director, urging a president who will listen to students. "We need someone who can hit the ground running," added Latonya Robinson Conanu, an assessment and evaluation official, who asked for experience with large public institutions and a record of research and grant success.

Several faculty members said restoring credibility with the campus community must be an early priority. "We need someone who can rebuild that trust," said Robbie Luckett, director of the Margaret Walker Center. Faculty and staff called for clearer shared-governance practices, transparent hiring and promotion processes, and attention to campus operations—from payroll and human resources responsiveness to timely recruitment of vacant positions.

Alumni, trustees and business-minded participants pressed hard for a president who can raise private money and advocate effectively at the statehouse. Several speakers asked for a leader who will "shake trees" for grants and legislative appropriations and who will marshal alumni giving into sustained capital and scholarship support.

What's going well, participants said, includes Jackson State's strong school spirit, a high-engagement student body, active alumni chapters, athletic visibility and an improving research profile. Several speakers said those assets can be leveraged by a president who prioritizes relationships and brings a concrete plan for infrastructure and scholarship funding.

AGB Search consultants said they will synthesize the listening-session input into a presidential profile that will guide national recruitment and screening. The firm asked attendees to complete an online survey that remains open through midnight Eastern; AGB said a minimum eight-week recruitment window will be followed by semifinal and finalist rounds, with finalists expected in the spring.

The listening sessions produced a long list of candidate attributes and a short list of immediate priorities for the new president: stabilize leadership and rebuild trust; secure capital and private funding for housing and deferred maintenance; and expand student support systems linking academics to internships and jobs. Those were among the most repeated requests from students, faculty and alumni across the sessions.