YSU Continuing with AGB Search

The YSU Board of Trustees met on Feb. 17, where President Randy Dunn gave his resignation. On Wednesday, the Board met again and agreed to use AGB Search to find Dunn’s replacement.
The YSU Board of Trustees met on Feb. 17, where President Randy Dunn gave his resignation. On Wednesday, the Board met again and agreed to use AGB Search to find Dunn’s replacement.

On Wednesday, after a 2.5-hour executive session to discuss personnel actions regarding the president of the university, the Youngstown State University Board of Trustees announced that they agreed to use AGB Search to conduct a national search to find a new president. AGB Search is the same company that spearheaded the search for Cynthia Anderson’s replacement.

Trustees John Jakubek and Carole Weimer — as well as President Randy Dunn — were not in attendance.

According to the last contract with the service, “Should a candidate that the [Independent Contractor] places at the university leave within twelve months of the start date, the IC will reinitiate, for Out-of-pocket expenses only and no Professional Fee, a search for the same position as the original placement…”

Therefore, AGB Search will conduct its services at no cost to the university.

“I’m glad they are keeping up with their contract,” said Sudershan Garg, chair of the Board of Trustees.

Dunn joined YSU on July 15 after the Board of Trustees unanimously voted to make him Anderson’s replacement.

Dunn resigned from office on Feb. 17 after signing a contract for presidency at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. With his resignation, Dunn announced that he will be leaving office on Aug. 16, which fulfills his contract that says he is required to give 180 days written notice before leaving.

“If he tells me tomorrow that he is ready to move on, we will find a solution for it,” Garg said.

Garg said that the Board has not appointed an interim president because they are still “working on the logistics in terms of the operations of the university.”

Normally, were the presidential position to be open, the provost would serve as interim president. YSU’s provost Ikram Khawaja is out of the country until March 15, and is then retiring on June 30. The next in line as interim president would then be the vice president for financial affairs. However, Eugene Grilli has accepted a position at Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia.

“At this time, we will run the university from day-to-day,” Garg said. “Hopefully, we will have a new president by June 30.”