Board Of Trustees Continues Search For New PResident
This week, the Liberty University Board of Trustees will meet to move forward with the search for the next President and Chancellor of Liberty University.
After the board appointed Jerry Prevo as acting president last fall, the board decided to restructure the head leadership positions, a move that would differentiate the Chancellor, spiritual leader, position from the President, who would oversee the administration of the university.
The November meeting also established a search committee to fill the positions. The committee was tasked with outlining job descriptions approving candidates in the search process.
Earlier this year, the Executive Committee on the board sent out a statement in support of Prevo, ensuring students, faculty and staff that he is able to be referred to as President in his acting position. The statement comes after the board asked Prevo to utilize his time in the position “to reset the spiritual focus and emphasis at the University.”
The committee will gather again during their end of the year meeting this fall.
Savanna Graves is the News Editor. Follow her on Twitter at @SavannaLeigh.
While it is difficult to know fully the rationale for “splitting” the leadership roles at LU, it may send an unintended message to potential applicants and the university community. For one, it implies that spiritual leadership will not be required of the “chief administrator,” which is certainly not intended, and it also echoes some of the concerning sentiments of the previous president.
Naming any fallen person as a “spiritual leader” puts them in an impossible situation at some level; LU may be better off naming a leader who—in the fullness of his or her humanity—is following hard after God and leading with dignity and Christian humility. Every employee should be leading spiritually, and all be held accountable in a culture of love and respect.