The FAU Board of Trustees (BOT) will determine finalists for the university’s next president by early July, said BOT Chair Brad Levine at the June 22 Board of Governors (BOG) meeting.

The BOT is the university’s 13-member governing body, which includes the student body president and six members appointed by the governor.

The BOG, which also has some members appointed by the governor, makes significant policy and business decisions for all 12 public universities within the State University System of Florida.

FAU has been actively searching for a new university president since former President John Kelly stepped down from the position in December 2022. Currently serving as the interim president is Stacy Volnick, chief operating officer and vice president of administrative affairs, who took over on January 1.

In January the BOT established the Presidential Search Committee, which enlisted the help of search firm AGB Search to ensure a proper selection process.

As of June 22, the Presidential Search Committee approved a compensation range for the incoming president and identified an “exceptionally qualified” pool of candidates to begin selecting finalists from, according to BOG member Alan Levine.

“In three weeks of the search, we’ve garnered 63 applications in one of the most successful recruitment pools in AGB search. The applicants themselves are incredibly impressive,” said Chair Brad Levine.

Of those 63 applicants, 12 are current or former university or assistant presidents, eight are executive vice presidents, three are vice presidents, and seven are candidates from institutions part of the Association of American Universities. Many more candidates came from a higher education background, while several others who applied have non-educational backgrounds.

The committee identified a group of 19 “highly qualified” candidates, which includes assistant presidents, seven presidents, five provosts, two deans, and a state representative.

Once the BOT decides on its presidential nominee, they will make a proposal to the BOG before their August 29 meeting, according to Alan Levine.

“The fact that FAU received so many applicants shows the strength and confidence of the SUS system, not in our state, but beyond our entire country,” said Chair Brad Levine.

Alan Levine conceded with Chair Brad Levine’s statement, saying that he is very impressed with the pool of candidates. 

“I think FAU is gonna emerge with an exceptional president once this process is done,” said Alan Levine.

Elisabeth Gaffney is the Managing Editor for the University Press. For more information on this article or others, you can reach Elisabeth at [email protected] or DM her on Instagram @elisabethgaff.