04/09/14

The fifth of five candidates selected as presidential finalists for Fort Hays State University will visit Hays and meet with campus and community groups on Thursday and Friday, April 10-11.

The fifth finalist, Dr. Tom Jackson Jr., currently serves as vice president for student affairs at the University of Louisville.

Since January 2007, Dr. Jackson has provided divisional leadership for areas such as Campus Housing, the University Counseling Center, the Career Development Center, the Student Government Association and International Service Learning, to name a few. Prior to his current appointment, Dr. Jackson served as the vice president for student affairs at Texas A&M University, Kingsville (2000-2007), and as dean of students at McMurry University, Abilene, Texas (1996-2000), among other positions. Dr. Jackson also served as the elected president of the American College Personnel Association from 2009-2010.

A native of Seattle, Wash., he received his Doctor of Education from the University of La Verne, La Verne, Calif., a Master of Science in counseling and student personnel from Shippensburg University, Shippensburg, Pa., and a Bachelor of Science in business management/personnel from Southwest State University, Marshall, Minn. Since 2010, Dr. Jackson has served on the University Community Partners Board of Advisors for University of Louisville, and in 2012 he received the Outstanding Community Engagement Faculty Award. From 2008-2011 he served on the Advisory Board for the Hesselbein Global Academy for Student Leadership and Civic Engagement at the University of Pittsburgh. In 2008 he was inducted into Omicron Delta Kappa, a national leadership honor society.

Dr. Jackson served in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve from 1978 to 1984, in the Texas Army National Guard from 2001 to 2002 and in the Texas State Guard from 2003 to 2007.

The community is invited and encouraged to meet the candidate ina reception at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, April 10, in Eagle Communications Hall at the Robbins Center (One Tiger Place) on the FHSU campus.

FHSU President Edward H. Hammond announced his retirement, effective June 30, 2014, in the fall after serving the university since 1987. Shortly thereafter, the Kansas Board of Regents initiated the search process by selecting Denis Miller, Phillipsburg, chair of the FHSU Foundation Board of Trustees, to chair the Presidential Search Committee. In December, the Regents selected the members of the search committee, comprising 19 individuals representing FHSU constituencies, such as faculty, students, administration, staff, alumni, the Hays community and the Board of Regents.

"We are pleased with the number of outstanding candidates that have applied for the presidency at Fort Hays State University," said Miller, "and we look forward to continuing the process that will lead to selection of a new president."

For more information about the FHSU Presidential Search process, visit: 
http://www.fhsu.edu/presidential-search/.

The Search Committee will submit to the Board of Regents its candidate recommendations at the conclusion of the campus interviews. The Board anticipates naming the next Fort Hays State University president in late April.