Alabama State University

A search committee has released the names of four finalists seeking the presidency of Alabama State University.

The list made public Wednesday includes state Sen. Quinton Ross of Montgomery and Gwendolyn Boyd of Montgomery, who had a long career at John Hopkins University.

The other finalists include retired Brig. Gen. Samuel Nichols of Virginia, a former deputy commander at Guantanamo Bay, and the business dean at George Mason University, Jorge Haddock.

State lawmakers have approved another $50,000 for the company conducting a forensic audit at Alabama State University.

   A panel of lawmakers on Thursday approved the latest request for money for the independent audit. The Montgomery Advertiser reports (http://on.mgmadv.com/1dM10Ag) that the increase could take the total cost for review up to $650,000.

   Jennifer Ardis, a spokeswoman for Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley, said the auditing process is taking longer because of difficulty in gaining access to needed information.

Federal judges are rejecting Alabama State University's appeal of a $1 million court judgment for sexual harassment.

The Montgomery Advertiser reported that the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the school in a 23-page decision on Tuesday.

Three former employees won more than $1 million total in a lawsuit that claimed two top administrators made numerous inappropriate comments and created a hostile work environment.

The president of Alabama State University says he's looking to implement a temporary smoking ban.

University President William Harris says that he's going to use executive authority to temporarily ban the use of all tobacco products on campus.

He says science has proven "that smoking causes grave difficulties to health," and university officials want students and staff to be as healthy as possible.

State officials have awarded Alabama State University with $800,000 in grant funding for the Selma to Montgomery Voting Rights Interpretive Center.

The funding will be added to an existing grant of $1.2 million.

Director of Alabama State University's National Center for the study of Civil Rights and African-American Culture says the center will be located near Hornet Stadium on the university's campus.

Organizers say they hope to open the center in time for the 50th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery March in March 2015.

The board of the Alabama Public Historical Sites and Parks Improvement Corporation has authorized $1.2 million in bond money for a landmark voting rights center in the capitol city.

A new facility at Alabama State University will be home to the last stop on the route memorialized as the Voting Rights Trail, officials said Tuesday.

Finance Director Marquita Davis told Lt. Gov. Kay Ivey and House Speaker Mike Hubbard the center had been funded in 2001, but the project didn't get off the ground.

Officials say Alabama State University trustee Kathy Sawyer has resigned from the institution's board.

The Montgomery Advertiser reports (http://on.mgmadv.com/VlnTTq ) that Sawyer submitted a letter of resignation to Gov. Robert Bentley on Jan. 13.

She stated in her resignation letter that she was unable to fulfill her responsibility "in a manner that benefits both the university and me personally."

The week prior to being placed on administrative leave, former Alabama State University President Joseph Silver got into a public disagreement with two administrators about the university's annual Turkey Day Classic parade.

Alabama State University's board of trustees will meet Friday to consider the fate of embattled president Joseph Silver.

The Montgomery Advertiser reported the developments after it obtained an email sent from one trustee to the board chairman.

Silver has been on leave since Nov. 26, when the executive committee of the board took that action in an emergency meeting.

Immediately following that meeting, Silver claimed he was being punished for questioning several contracts currently in place at ASU that didn't benefit the school.

Three legislative leaders on education issues have asked Alabama State University for records of all contracts and payments to public officials or their immediate families.

(Information in the following story is from: Montgomery Advertiser, http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com)

Two Alabama State University employees with ties to suspended university President Joseph Silver are out of their jobs.

University vice president Danielle Kennedy said the vice president for business and finance, Edward Patrick, and the senior assistant to the president, Joyce Outler, no longer work for Alabama State because the board of trustees did not approve their hiring.

Alabama State University trustees say they won't decide the fate of the school's suspended president because his mother died.

Joseph Silver's mother died Thursday night. Trustees had planned to discuss Silver at their Friday morning meeting.

Silver contends he was suspended after raising questions about financial matters at the Montgomery school, including concerns about undisclosed contracts. Silver tried to fire two top university officials.

ASU officials have denied any financial wrongdoing at the school.

A lawyer for Alabama State University says suspended President Joseph Silver sent letters by email telling two top administrators they were being fired.

Attorney Kenneth Thomas said the emails were sent Monday to executive vice president John Knight and communications director Danielle Kennedy during a meeting where a committee of the board of trustees placed Silver on paid administrative leave.

Thomas said the emails were sent at 5:37 p.m. and 5:38 p.m. Monday. Silver has said he fired Knight and Kennedy.

Suspended Alabama State University President Joseph Silver said he did not receive cooperation from top university officials concerning the school's finances.

An executive committee of the board placed Silver on paid administrative leave Monday after Silver tried to fire executive vice president John Knight. Knight is a state representative from Montgomery.

Silver said in a written statement Wednesday that while reviewing the university's financial information, he had questions and no one would give him answers or provide requested documentation.

The Alabama State University Board of Trustees voted Monday to place the school's new president on paid administrative leave.

The Montgomery Advertiser reports the panel recommended that Joseph Silver be placed on leave immediately. The circumstances that led to their decision were not immediately clear.

The full board will meet Thursday at 1 p.m. to consider the recommendation while Silver is on leave.