Bethune-Cookman University Board of Trustees announces search for 8th president

One year after naming Hiram Powell interim president, the Bethune-Cookman University Board of Trustees announced Friday it has begun the search for the next president, the eighth in the school's 118-year history.

The board released a three-paragraph statement with few details about the search, other than calling it a "multi-step approach," and committing to a "thorough and inclusive search process amongst a diverse pool of qualified candidates."

Board Chairman Belvin Perry was not available for an interview Friday afternoon, a school official said.

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Powell, a Bethune-Cookman alumnus, is a 42-year veteran of the school's faculty and administration, having served in many roles, including provost, vice president of institutional advancement and dean of graduate studies as well as performing arts and communications. When he was appointed in April 2021, he was announced as an interim successor to Brent Chrite, who had resigned the month prior.

"Our next president will appreciate and desire to preserve the rich legacy of Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune while boldly leveraging the university's global footprint toward strategic growth and impact," the trustees' statement reads.

Chrite and Perry had helped the university reverse a five-year downward spiral of financial, legal, accreditation and enrollment troubles, but they were not on the same page, leading to Chrite's resignation in March 2021, after less than two years on the job. He took a job as president at Bentley University in Massachusetts.

The divorce between Chrite and Perry led to acrimony with the school's independent alumni association. Perry has since announced the university has started its own school-run alumni support organization and B-CU sued the former National Alumni Association of Bethune-Cookman University Inc., demanding it stop using the university's name, logos and trademarks.

Also in Powell's tenure, the school has seen an increase in revenue and a trend toward enrollment growth while launching "Re-imagining B-CU: Now, Next and Beyond," a strategic planning project promising changes in what the historically Black university offers and how it gets delivered.

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This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: B-CU launches search for next president, 1 year after naming interim