Florida A&M to Interview Three for VP of Student Affairs

Candidates for the title of vice president of student affairs will be meeting Florida A&M officials this month as part of their interviews to secure the job.

Starting Thursday, the first of three men who hope to succeed former VP Roland Gaines will talk in-person with members of the FAMU VP of Student Affairs selection committee and the Student Government Association (SGA) and President James Ammons.

The other two interviews are scheduled for next week, and the week after, according to the official itinerary provided by SGA Tuesday.

A.J. Range is scheduled to arrive in Tallahassee Thursday for his meeting with the selection at 6:30 p.m. in Tucker Hall.

The next day, he will tour the campus, meet Student Affairs Assistant Vice Presidents Deandrea Cotton and Faydre Hawkins-Brown, and deans and directors and the president’s leadership team. Range is assistant vice president, regional campuses Student Services, at the at the University of Central Florida.

Range leaves Friday evening at 5:00 p.m.

Officials plan to interview Hudson on Tuesday, April 12.

Hudson is interim VP of Student Affairs and heads the selection committee. His interview is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, followed by a campus tour Wednesday and meetings with staff and student representatives.

The final candidate, G. David Moss, a Florida State graduate, will arrive Tuesday, April 19. All of his meetings are scheduled for Wednesday, April 20. He leaves at 5:00 p.m. the same day. He is assistant vice president of student affairs at University of Notre Dame.

The VPSA position has been vacant since last June, when Roland Gaines retired. He worked for FAMU for 36 years, with a six-year stint as vice chancellor of student affairs at North Carolina Central University as the only interruption. “It just so happens that there is a time to leave, to relax and chill out and enjoy life,” Gaines said.

The search committee started looking for Gaines’ replacement in September. At the time, Hudson, who headed the initial search committee, was considered the front-runner for the job.

Henry Kirby, FAMU dean of students, was one of three finalists interviewed for the job last October. However, none of the candidates was recommended for the position. In December, a group of “student leaders” publicly backed Kirby for the job.

A committee later resumed the search, leading to the selection of Hudson and the other two.Florida A&M is hosting interviews this month for the final, three candidates vying for the vacant job of Vice President of Student Affairs.

Officials have scheduled the first interview – for candidate A.J. Range – for this Friday, April 8. Range is the Assistant Vice President, Regional, of Campus Student Services at University of Central Florida (UCF).

Interim Vice President of Student Affairs Dr. WIlliam Hudson, Jr. will be the second candidate interviewed – on Wednesday, April 13.

The final candidate, Dr. G. David Moss, is scheduled for an interview on Wednesday, April 20.  He is Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs at University of Notre Dame.

[Keep checking The FAMUAN Online for updates to this developing story]