Retired Lafayette businessman James Prince will round out a 14-member search committee for a new University of Louisiana at Lafayette president. Prince, a current member and former president of UL Lafayette’s foundation board, will serve in an advisory capacity.
University of Louisiana System Board Chair Jimmy Long, Sr., asked the university’s foundation for a recommendation to the search committee because of its community and business membership. In addition, the new UL Lafayette president will serve as a voting member on its Board of Trustees.
“I am honored to recommend Jim Prince for the search committee,” said UL Lafayette Foundation Board President John Chappuis. “He is exceptional, and I’m glad he will serve.”
Prince, a retired Chief Financial Officer for Stone Energy Corporation also serves on the Louisiana Economic Development Council, the Acadiana Community Foundation Board, and the UL Lafayette College of Business Administration Advisory Council.
Dr. Ray Authement, the longest-standing public university president in the country at 33 years, announced April 27 he will retire from UL Lafayette.
Voting members on the presidential search committee are ULS Board members Paul Aucoin, Elsie Burkhalter, Robert Hale, Jeffrey Jenkins, Renee Lapeyrolerie, Jimmy Long, Sr., Wayne Parker, Olinda Ricard (student member), Dr. Clyde Rougeou, Jr., and Winfred Sibille, as well as UL Lafayette Faculty Senate representative John Meriwether.
Prince will join UL Lafayette Student Government Association President Candace Urbanowski as an advisory, non-voting member. UL System President Sally Clausen will chair the committee.
The first public hearing of the search committee will be June 14 on the UL Lafayette campus.
WHAT: Public Hearing
WHEN: 1 p.m., Thursday, June 14
WHERE: 1st Floor Auditorium, Moody Hall
“ The purpose of the public hearing is to receive input from faculty, staff, students, and community members about their desired characteristics of a new president,” said University of Louisiana System (ULS) President Sally Clausen. “It is essential that every university stakeholder feels part of the process.”
Prior to the June 14 public hearing there will be a search committee meeting to review the timeline and other elements of the search.
A tentative schedule calls for another public hearing on the Lafayette campus in the fall. Later in the year public candidate interviews are planned with the expectation of naming a new president by December.
A web page (at www.ulsystem.net) has been dedicated to the search. It will contain information about the university, search announcements, news, candidates’ resumes and other information. It also has contact information for anyone wanting to submit comments or questions to the search committee.
Founded in 1898 as the Southwestern Louisiana Industrial Institute, UL Lafayette is a comprehensive university with over 16,000 students that offers 120 undergraduate, 38 graduate, and nine doctoral programs. Featuring over 35 research centers and institutes, the University generates over $40 million in external funding and earned the distinction as a Carnegie Research University with High Research Activity.
UL Lafayette is the largest of eight universities in the University of Louisiana System. The system also includes Grambling State University, Louisiana Tech University, McNeese State University, Nicholls State University, Northwestern State University, Southeastern Louisiana University, and University of Louisiana at Monroe.