The governing board of the institution is responsible for the selection and the periodic evaluation of the chief executive officer. (CEO evaluation/selection)
Compliance Status
Louisiana State University and A&M College is in compliance with this principle.
Narrative
The governing board of Louisiana State University and A&M College (LSU) is responsible for the selection and periodic evaluation of the chief executive officer. The authority of the Board of Supervisors to employ personnel is specified in State of Louisiana Revised Statute R.S. 17:3301 [1] and is outlined through the Bylaws & Regulations of the LSU Board of Supervisors [2]. The Bylaws & Regulations of the LSU Board of Supervisors (Article VII, Section 4) specify that the chancellor is appointed by the Board of Supervisors and serves at their pleasure [3]. The president of the LSU System recommends the appointment and oversees the actions of the chancellor. The contract of the chancellor states that a review is to be conducted and that the board chair, president, and chancellor will determine the performance metrics.
As an example of the hiring process, the president of the system, John V. Lombardi, recommended to the board the hiring of Michael V. Martin on June 5, 2008, and the board empowered the president to take action to secure the employment along with the board voting to appoint Dr. Martin as chancellor [4]. A similar procedure was followed on December 16, 2004, in the hiring of Sean O’Keefe as chancellor [5].
The review of Chancellor Sean O’Keefe led to his resignation, which the Board of Supervisors accepted on January 17, 2008, slightly more than three years after his appointment [6]. At this meeting the board publicly acknowledged the evaluation of the LSU chancellor and specifically cited it as a reason for separation.
With the dismissal of LSU System President John Lombardi on April 12, 2012, the LSU Board of Supervisors considered an alternate configuration of the leadership at the LSU System and LSU [7]. The current configuration of one person performing the duties of the chancellor of LSU and president of the LSU System began on June 8, 2012, when William L. Jenkins, who was serving as interim system president, was also designated as the interim LSU chancellor upon the departure of sitting Chancellor Michael V. Martin [8]. On October 26, 2012, the Board of Supervisors took action to begin the consolidation of the two positions permanently into one [9]. In December 2012 the board clarified that it intended to merge the two positions into one position at a date to be specified by the board [10]. On March 27, 2013, the board accepted the recommendation that F. King Alexander be selected as the system president and the LSU chancellor [11]. Core requirement 2.3 details the changing nature of the position of chief executive officer at LSU.