Alabama State University

Alabama State University officials have outlined initial steps they plan to take to recover from a credit downgrade and are looking for more information on specific things the school needs to do to respond to warning from an academic accreditation agency.

The Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees met Wednesday afternoon. Chairman Elton Dean says he's assembled a group tasked with having weekly conference calls to discuss what the school needs to do to recover from its third credit downgrade by Moody's Investors Service within a roughly nine month period.

Alabama State University officials say they're committed to revamping administrative processes to respond to a recent credit downgrade and a warning from an accreditation agency.

In a statement Monday, ASU President Gwendolyn Boyd said the school's recent credit downgrade by Moody's Investor's Service is the third in almost nine months and she considers it a "very serious issue."

An accrediting agency has issued a warning to Alabama State University for failing to comply with several accreditation standards.

The Montgomery Advertiser reports the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools issued the warning to ASU late last week, saying the school hasn't complied with standards on board of trustees governance, financial stability and Title IV funding issues.

A civil rights interpretive center will remain on the Alabama State University campus for now, following a vote by the Montgomery City Council.

WAKA-TV reports that after some debate, the council voted not to reconsider the location. The station reports that the National Park Service selected ASU as the site of the center in 2011.

Montgomery City Councilman Tracy Larkin has proposed a resolution to reconsider the current location at Alabama State, favoring a site along the Selma to Montgomery March route.

Two members of the Alabama State University board of trustees have questioned university President Gwendolyn Boyd's understanding of the school's governance structure, and Boyd has called claims they've made against her intimidation and harassment.

A series of letters obtained by the Montgomery Advertiser outlines a disagreement between Boyd and board members Elton Dean and Marvin Wiggins. The issue arose after Boyd distributed a revised organizational chart just before a late April trustee meeting.

An Alabama university is barring its new president from living with any romantic interest in the campus home provided her as long as she remains unmarried.

A contract signed by Gwendolyn Boyd to become head of Alabama State University in Montgomery prohibits her from sharing her presidential home with any partner. The contract notes Boyd is single and requires her to live in the house. It says the no-cohabitation clause is in effect as long as Boyd isn't married.

The trustees of Alabama State University have approved a two-year contract that pays new President Gwendolyn Boyd $300,000 annually.

The board, including Gov. Robert Bentley, approved the contract unanimously Friday. It includes benefits, such as a president's home.

University spokesman Ken Mullinax said Boyd will start Feb. 1. She has been executive assistant to the chief of staff of the Applied Physics Lab at John Hopkins University.

She replaces Joseph Silver, who left in late 2012. He had an annual salary of $325,000, but only served a few months.

Democratic state Sen. Quinton Ross of Montgomery is seeking re-election after not being selected president of Alabama State University.

Ross was one of three finalists interviewed by the Alabama State trustees Friday, but they chose Gwendolyn Boyd from John Hopkins University.

Shortly after the selection, Ross announced he will run for a fourth term next year. Ross said he was thankful to be nominated to the Alabama State position, but he looks forward to continuing to represent his Montgomery County constituents.

The trustees of Alabama State University have selected Gwendolyn Boyd as the university's new president.

The board voted Friday after interviewing three finalists at the Montgomery university. The other finalists were retired Brigadier Gen. Samuel Nichols and Democratic state Sen. Quinton Ross.

Alabama State University trustees will soon vote on the next president of the university.

The trustees are scheduled to take up the matter at a meeting Dec. 20. A notice from the Alabama Secretary of State indicates that the board will meet to vote on the next president.

Members of a search committee last week interviewed three finalists for the job: state Sen. Quinton Ross Jr. of Montgomery; Gwendolyn Boyd of John Hopkins University; and retired Brig. Gen. Samuel Nichols Jr. of Virginia Friday afternoon.

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.