The Board of Regents voted unanimously Oct. 12 to name state Attorney General Sam Olens the next president of KSU.
Olens will begin his tenure as KSU’s fourth president on Nov. 1, six months after the abrupt resignation of former President Daniel S. Papp. The decision came amid a string of student and faculty protests, one of which took place in the Board of Regents open session meeting on the morning of the vote.
“Sam Olens’ two decades of public service and outstanding leadership qualities make him the right person to lead Kennesaw State University at the right time,” Board of Regents Chair Kessel Stelling, Jr. said in a press release. “While Sam has successfully led a large workforce and managed a substantial operating budget, he also has a passion for KSU and public higher education.”
In a letter to students, faculty and staff, Olens emphasized his passion for Kennesaw State and promised to focus his efforts on allocation of resources, improving graduation rates, increasing private fundraising for scholarships and accountability.
“I know that you have many questions about how I plan to lead this university,” he said in the letter. “As president, I strongly believe in mutual respect, open communication, and tolerance. The growth that has created many opportunities for our faculty, staff, and students, also comes with some challenges. We need to work together to find solutions that will enable Kennesaw State to continue to thrive.”
The decision received immediate backlash from students, faculty and alumni who have protested Olens’ appointment and petitioned the Board of Regents to conduct a national search for president. Immediately after the vote was taken, the faculty members present at the meeting walked out.
LoStudents on the Say No to Sam Olens Facebook page are calling for further protests, and some have even said they are considering transferring. Numerous alumni also took to social media to announce they would be withdrawing their financial support from the university.
Board of Regents Chancellor Hank Huckaby addressed the discontent after the vote was taken.
“We had a good candidate who is very well known and well-respected in the Cobb County and Kennesaw community, and we felt we didn’t need to go any further,” Huckaby said. “In this situation we felt there were unique circumstances that would cause us to go the route that the the Board did go.”
Huckaby also cited the cost of conducting a nationwide search, a price he estimated might range anywhere from $200,000 to $350,000, and said that such searches don’t always yield a promising candidate.
“[Olens] will be a very dynamic figure in helping to move Kennesaw State University forward,” he said.
According to his letter, Olens will be meeting with individuals and groups in the coming days on both the Kennesaw and Marietta campuses to begin a dialogue about the direction of the university.
