Athens State board to create transition team, appoint interim president

Published 6:30 am Thursday, May 3, 2018

Athens State University’s board of trustees announced Wednesday it would establish a transition team as part of an effort to find a replacement for departing president Dr. Robert Glenn.

The board said in a statement the team would include a search committee that would “identify a leader to build upon our solid foundation.” The board also announced an interim president would be appointed “due to the time typically required to hire a new president.”

Glenn, the 36th president of Athens State University, will reportedly be the next president of the University of Houston-Victoria in Texas. The board statement noted Glenn, who came to Athens State in 2008, was integral in helping Athens State transition from the Alabama Community College System to a fully independent state university with an autonomous board of trustees.

Efforts to reach Glenn for comment this week have been unsuccessful. News of his departure from Athens State was announced late Monday by the Victoria Advocate.

Glenn was named the sole finalist of the top three contenders. His hiring is expected to be formally approved May 24 by the University of Houston System Board of Regents.

“We appreciate Dr. Glenn’s contributions in helping build Athens State to where it is today, and we thank him for the vision he has shared with us over the past decade,” said Cathy Dickens, board chairwoman. “We are excited to build on the momentum that has been created, shaping the future of higher education as we approach our bicentennial in 2022. We wish Dr. Glenn well in his future endeavors.”