DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- A new university chairman has been named as the search for a new president narrows at troubled Bethune-Cookman University.
- Bethune-Cookman University undergoes leadership changes
- Judge Belvin Perry named university chairman
- University faces financial and academic troubles
Judge Belvin Perry was named chairman of the university's Board of Trustees on Friday, ending a two-day-long meeting of the board.
The change comes as Perry a week ago called on chairwoman Michelle Carter-Scott and other legacy members of the board to resign, saying they failed to provide adequate oversight of the past administration that led the historically black college to its current state of financial and academic troubles.
"The Board Chair, Dr. (Michelle) Carter-Scott announced she would be stepping down from her position upon completion of the presidential search, however the Board of Trustees voted she be removed as Chair of the Board immediately," Interim President Hubert Grimes said.
Carter-Scott will remain a member of the board, but for how long remains to be seen. News 13 made multiple requests to speak with Carter-Scott without response.
A week before, Perry accused Carter-Scott of going beyond the authority of her position by trying to put friends on the board and blocking internal investigations into a failed construction project.
"I'm very satisfied with the outcome of the meeting," Perry said. "The main contention was to have new leadership at the top. There's been no secret there was bickering and infighting, which justified the need for new leadership.
"I can tell you that the board as a whole is excited to move forward. We know that we have faced difficult days in the past, but we are really upbeat about BCU's future," he added.
Several years ago, the board approved construction of two new residence halls and a student union building. The student union building was never built, and school leaders say $25 million went missing.
Perry and Grimes said Friday they met again this week with investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigations and Department of Education in an effort to find out where the money went.
There remain multiple civil lawsuits pending because of the failed project.
The University has long lacked transparency in their affairs, with Perry saying the board itself often worked covered in a "cloak of darkness."
"I think the days of turmoil is hopefully over with now," Perry said. "This board will be discussing more transparency, we will be discussing opening board meetings up to the public. We want to be more transparent so people will see this new beginning of Bethune-Cookman University."
The new beginning comes with its challenges.
The university remains on academic probation, of which interim president Grimes said they have addressed six of the nine major reasons.
The failed project and missing $25 million also created a series of financial troubles. Grimes on Thursday announced a series of salary and staff reductions, which will total $2 million. Grimes said more cuts are likely as by year's end they will need to reach a total of approximately $4 million in cuts.
Grimes' own time at Bethune-Cookman may or may not be limited.
Three finalists for the school's president job are scheduled to meet with university leaders at the end of January, with a decision by sometime in February.
The names and backgrounds of those three finalists are not yet public.
Grimes himself was shy about directly answering whether he could eventually be the school's permanent president.
"I'm not part of the presidential search, I withdrew from that consideration back in June of last year and I've continued to focus on doing the work," Grimes said. "I didn't want that, or anyone to believe that should distract me from the work or that was some method of quote end quote trying to slide in."
When Spectrum News 13's Greg Angel followed up if he would take the job if the board offered it, Grimes replied: "That's a bridge you cross when you get to it."
Grimes however does appear to have the support of Perry.
"Judge Grimes has been here, he knows where the bones are buried, he knows the things that need to be fixed," Perry said.
Grimes said he believes the changes in Board leadership, salary reductions, and other efforts will have the University begin to "right the ship".
"My focus is let's get work done," Grimes said. "We've got probation cycles, we've got to right size the budget, we've got litigation issues, we've got all of those things in front of us and they require a focused attention."
