JACKSON, Miss. – The State College Board has named Alfred Rankins, Jr. its preferred candidate to be the next president of Alcorn State University.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for me,” said Rankins, at a Thursday press conference. “And I am deeply honored for the chance to return home to my alma mater.”
Rankins currently works as Deputy Commissioner of Academic Affairs for the College Board and at one time served as interim president of Mississippi Valley State University.
“We believe (Rankins) is the perfect fit for Alcorn State University,” said Board Trustee C.D. Smith, Jr. But naming him as the preferred candidate is not the final step in the process. Rankins will meet with faculty and staff at both the school’s Lorman and Natchez campuses on Tuesday, March 4. “You will have the opportunity to ask him questions, learn more about him,… and provide your feed back to the board. Then the board will make a final decision whether to name Dr. Rankins the next president of Alcorn State University or continue the search.”
The board began its search for a new leader after M. Christopher Brown, II resigned the presidency last year, as an investigation got underway into complaints about some of his spending practices on behalf of the school.
