The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia (USG) has announced it will conduct national searches to find the next presidents of Albany State University (ASU) and Savannah State University (SSU).

ASU President Marion Ross Fedrick announced last month her plan to accept a new role at Georgia State University as executive vice president and chief of staff, effective July 1, 2024. Fedrick will additionally serve as a senior advisor to Chancellor Sonny Perdue for initiatives related to the system’s three public historically Black colleges and universities, which include ASU, SSU and Fort Valley State University.

Cynthia Robinson Alexander, previously USG’s associate vice chancellor for finance, has served as interim president of SSU since July 2023 after the departure of President Kimberly Ballard-Washington. She will continue to serve as interim president during this time.

“The success of Georgia’s public HBCUs is vital for students, and they remain important to our mission to educate Georgia citizens for the 21st century,” Perdue said. “We want to find the best leaders who can build upon the work of their predecessors and help our institutions make sure students enter a highly skilled workforce ready to contribute and grow their own prosperity as well as the state’s.”

Both universities continue to play critical roles within the system and Georgia. ASU is USG’s largest HBCU, enrolling 6,599 students as of Fall 2023. Since its founding in 1903, AUS has prepared students for the state's teaching workforce and is a critical partner in educating Georgia's future nurses.

Savannah State increased enrollment this past fall to 3,099 students. As the oldest public HBCU in the state, it has a rich 134-year history in higher education that includes being the first institution of higher learning in the city of Savannah. Both institutions were among the university system’s original members.

USG will now initiate national searches to find the universities’ next leaders. This decision begins the process to name presidential search committees at each institution. Those committees, once finalized, will be announced at a later date.