Executive committee adopts president evaluation instrument and approves employment contract for Austin Peay president

The Austin Peay State University Board of Trustees executive committee adopted the same performance-evaluation criteria used in the prior year for fiscal 2025-26 and approved a new employment contract for President Mike Licari.

Chair O'Malley said the evaluation criteria "has proven to be effective in assessing Dr. Licari's performance" and moved to adopt the same instrument used previously. The motion was seconded and approved by voice vote.

The chair introduced the proposed presidential employment contract, which was included in the meeting materials. The chair said the university had been one of the few institutions in Tennessee without a presidential contract and thanked those who helped craft the agreement.

Trustee Don spoke in support of the contract and of President Licari's leadership, citing increased enrollment and strong community relations. Don said the university had set an "all-time Austin Peay record" for enrollment and characterized enrollment as "up 7%" compared with peers. Don also discussed retention elements built into the contract and referenced tax-advantaged arrangements intended to benefit the president.

President Mike Licari thanked the committee for the vote of confidence, called the past four-and-a-half years "a wonderful" period and expressed appreciation for the opportunity to continue serving. The committee then approved the contract and evaluation instrument by voice vote.

The meeting record does not show a detailed breakdown of contract terms or a formal recorded tally beyond the voice vote; meeting materials included the proposed contract for committee review.