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October 31st, 2008 | by shipsintheedge |USM’s Lucas named interim commissioner
Dr. Aubrey Lucas, President Emeritus of USM, was named interim Commissioner of Higher Education Friday, following the retirement of Tom Meredith amid a landscaping scandal involving improper use of state resources.
Amy Whitten, President of the IHL Board, told the Clarion Ledger that Lucas will act as Interim Commissioner until a permanent replacement is found, which she said will be “a matter of months.”
Lucas agreed, saying that he hopes “it will not be a long assignment,” but that he will at least serve through the legislative session, which will end in April.
Lucas, who served as President of USM for 22 years, said that his first task as Commissioner will be to restore faith in the IHL as it prepares for the upcoming legislative session.
“I’ve got to become familiar with the people, with the legislators, so that we can build some trust,” Lucas said, “because it’s the legislature that funds our institutions, at least partially.”
Dr. Joe Paul, Vice President for Student Affairs, points to Lucas’s statewide reputation as his chief asset in rebuilding that trust. “Dr. Lucas has great credibility statewide, so I think he will very quickly be able to calm tensions throughout the state surrounding higher-ed and give great leadership to the board.”
Lucas said that his experiences working in both the North and South of the state, including four years as President of Delta State University in Cleveland, will be “invaluable,” as he leads the IHL. “When you serve as a president in a system for 26 years, you have an opportunity to become familiar with that system…members of the boards of trustees, the staff of the commissioner, and of course the faculty, the staff, the students, the taxpayers, the alums, and others.”
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