F. King Alexander

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F. King Alexander
F. King Alexander (cropped).jpg
President of Oregon State University
In office
July 1, 2020 – April 1, 2021
Preceded byEd Ray
Succeeded byRebecca Johnson (acting)
President of Louisiana State University
In office
July 1, 2013 – December 31, 2019
Preceded byJohn V. Lombardi
Succeeded byThomas C. Galligan Jr. (Interim)
President of California State University, Long Beach
In office
January 2006 – June 30, 2013
Preceded byRobert Maxson
Succeeded by (Interim)
President of Murray State University
In office
September 2001 – December 2005
Preceded byS. Kern Alexander
Succeeded byRandy J. Dunn
Personal details
BornLouisville, Kentucky, United States
Spouse(s)Elizabeth Williams Alexander (died 2000)
Shenette Campbell Alexander (since 2006)
Children2
MotherRuth H. Alexander
FatherKern Alexander
Alma materSt. Lawrence University (BA)
University of Oxford (MSc)
University of Wisconsin–Madison (PhD)

Fieldon King Alexander is an American university administrator. He is the former president of Oregon State University, Louisiana State University, California State University, Long Beach, and Murray State University.

Early life and career[]

Alexander was born in Kentucky but raised in Gainesville, Florida. His mother, Ruth H. Alexander, was an activist for women in collegiate sports and was inducted into the Florida Women's Hall of Fame. Both his father and brothers played collegiate football.[1] His father, Kern Alexander,[2] is Professor of Excellence at the University of Illinois.

Alexander received a PhD in higher education administration from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, a Master of Science degree in educational studies/comparative education policy from the University of Oxford, and a bachelor's degree in political science from St. Lawrence University.[3] At St. Lawrence, he was a member of the men's basketball team. At Cal State Long Beach he occasionally participated in pickup games with students.[4]

After completing his master's degree, Alexander worked as Coordinator of External Programs and then as Director of Annual Giving at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.[5] After completing his doctoral degree at UW–Madison, he spent an additional year as a research assistant there. From 1997 to 2001 he served as assistant professor and coordinator of the higher education graduate program at the University of Illinois.[5][6][7]

University presidencies[]

Murray State University[]

Alexander served as the 10th president of Murray State University in Kentucky from 2001 to 2005,[8] his predecessor being his father Kern Alexander. Murray State's faculty senate passed a resolution condemning the closed process behind his appointment by the university's board of regents, which had named itself as the search committee.[9] As president, Alexander improved the relationship between faculty and the administration and oversaw the construction or renovation of several campus buildings, including the Susan E. Bauernfeind Student Recreation and Wellness Center.[10][11]

Alexander was a Foundation Fellow at Harris Manchester College and a faculty affiliate at the University of Illinois and Cornell University.[5]

California State University, Long Beach[]

Alexander in 2008

F. King Alexander was appointed as the sixth president of California State University, Long Beach on January 9, 2006. During his time at CSULB, a new $70 million Student Recreation Wellness Center was completed along with a $110 million Hall of Science building. The Hall of Science building was the largest capital building project in the history of the CSULB campus and most expensive building project in the CSU system. Enrollment at CSULB was 34,500 when Alexander took office, and it increased by more than 2,000 students by 2012.[12][13][14] At the same time that Alexander oversaw an increase in the student body, he oversaw a 12% decrease in the total number of faculty from 2185 in Spring 2006 to 1890 in Spring 2013.[15] On May 15, 2013, the California Conference for Equality and Justice presented him with the Humanitarian Award.[16]

Louisiana State University[]

With John L. Crain (left), President of Southeastern Louisiana University, Alexander responds to questions about funding for Louisiana's public universities, on a panel hosted by the Greater Hammond Chamber of Commerce during 2015.

It was announced on March 27, 2013, that Alexander would become president of the LSU system and chancellor of Louisiana State University A&M effective July 1, 2013.[17] Some criticism occurred over the way the Louisiana State University Board of Supervisors had conducted its search to fill the position of president of LSU after John V. Lombardi had been fired from it under alleged influence by Governor Bobby Jindal and as Alexander was named the sole finalist for president of LSU. The decision was met with a unanimously negative vote of confidence by LSU's faculty senate against the LSU Board of Supervisors, but Board of Supervisors chair Hank Danos asserted that Alexander "was clearly the right guy for LSU."[18] The Faculty Senate's vote of no confidence in Alexander's hiring noted that Alexander had never been a tenured full professor at a major research university and that the graduation rates at CSULB were lower than those at LSU.[19]

Oregon State University[]

Alexander was elected to become President of Oregon State University on December 13, 2019 by the Oregon State University Board of Trustees.[20] He assumed office on July 1, 2020.

On March 18, 2021, the Faculty Senate of Oregon State University declared no confidence in Alexander's leadership and demanded he resign in response to revelations about his role in lax enforcement of sexual misconduct at LSU.[21][22] The Faculty Senate held a plebiscite of all Oregon State faculty from March 19 to March 22, 2021, on the statement, "The Faculty of Oregon State University has no confidence in President Alexander’s ability to lead OSU in a way that is consistent with our values, and calls upon him to resign." The statement was approved by 83% of those voting, with a response rate of 39.4%.[23]

Alexander resigned from OSU presidency on March 23, 2021 for mishandling sexual misconduct allegations at LSU during his tenure as chancellor and president from 2013 to 2019.[24][25] His offer to resign was unanimously accepted by the board of trustees who said that they were convinced that the change was necessary due to outpouring of opposition and concern from OSU faculty and students.[26] He is to be paid $630,000 (equivalent to one year's salary) and $40,000 for "relocation assistance".[27]

Personal life[]

Alexander's first wife, Elizabeth Williams Alexander, died of breast cancer in 2000.[8] In 2006 he married Shenette (Campbell) Alexander.[28]

Publications[]

  • 2003. F. King Alexander and Ronald G. Ehrenberg (eds). Maximizing Revenue in Higher Education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
  • 2002. The University: International Expectations. McGill-Queen's University Press.

References[]

  1. ^ Kleinpeter, Jim (August 24, 2013). "Q and A with LSU President/Chancellor F. King Alexander". nola.com. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  2. ^ "Interviewee: Ruth Alexander" (PDF). ufdcimages.uflib.ufl.edu. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  3. ^ "Dr. F. King Alexander". California State University. Archived from the original on 4 July 2013. Retrieved 17 November 2013.
  4. ^ Moreno, Matt (February 18, 2009). "Obama not the only prez with basketball jones". Daily 49er. California State University, Long Beach. Archived from the original on January 20, 2013. Retrieved March 20, 2009.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b c "CSU Trustees Appoint F. King Alexander as the New President of California State University, Long Beach | CSU". calstate.edu. 2005-10-27. Archived from the original on 2021-03-22. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
  6. ^ Heckstall, India. "F. King Alexander". Higher Learning Advocates. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
  7. ^ "Resume of F. King Alexander" (PDF). oregonstate.edu. 2020-07-09. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2020-11-15. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b Ambrose, Anne (Spring 2006). "CSULB Welcomes President Alexander". The Beach Review. California State University, Long Beach.
  9. ^ Sheridan, Edward (2001-10-03). "Resolutions Pass on New President". Murray Ledger and Times. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
  10. ^ "President's Office: History of the Office". www.murraystate.edu. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
  11. ^ Taylor, Kristin (2005-10-28). "University Sets Sights on Filling 'Big Shoes' Left by Alexander". Murray Ledger and Times. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
  12. ^ "F. King Alexander took Cal State Long Beach to a higher level: Editorial". Press-Telegram. May 21, 2013. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  13. ^ Silverstein, Stuart (October 28, 2005). "New President of Cal State Long Beach Named". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  14. ^ Rider, Tiffany (June 4, 2013). "Long Beach Bids Adieu To Popular CSULB President F. King Alexander". Long Beach Business Journal. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
  15. ^ "Institutional Research & Analytics". 2017-05-10.
  16. ^ Ballard, Ernie. "Incoming LSU President and Chancellor F. King Alexander Receives Humanitarian Award". Archived from the original on 13 October 2013. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  17. ^ "Cal State Long Beach President F. King Alexander to Become President-Chancellor of the Louisiana State University System" (Press release). California State University, Long Beach. March 27, 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-05-09. Retrieved 2013-03-27.
  18. ^ Addo, Koran (2013-03-22). "Alexander defends record". Advocate. Baton Rouge. pp. 1A, 4A. Retrieved 2013-03-22. The interim president after Lombardi's firing was William Jenkins, who had preceded Lombardi in the position.
  19. ^ "LSU Faculty Senate votes 'no confidence' in board", WWLTV.com, March 20, 2013, http://www.wwltv.com/news/local/199191511.html Archived 2013-12-02 at the Wayback Machine
  20. ^ Colbert, Debbie (December 13, 2019). "Special Meeting of the Board of Trustees" (Meeting minutes). The Board of Trustees of Oregon State University, Corvallis OR. Archived 2020-07-01 at the Wayback Machine
  21. ^ Rambo, K. (March 18, 2021). "OSU Faculty Senate calls on President Alexander, trustees to resign" Corvallis Gazette-Times.
  22. ^ Alexander, F. King (19 March 2021). "Presidential statement following no-confidence vote by OSU Faculty Senate" (Press release). Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  23. ^ Heppell, Selina (22 March 2021). Plebiscite Referral Results (PDF) (Report). Corvallis, Oregon: Faculty Senate of Oregon State University. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 March 2021. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  24. ^ Denney, Jarrid (March 23, 2021). "F. King Alexander resigns amid outrage from OSU community". Corvallis Gazette-Times. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  25. ^ Powell, Meerah (23 March 2021). "OSU president resigns amid growing criticism over handling of LSU sexual misconduct allegations". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  26. ^ Manning, Jeff (23 March 2021). "OSU Board poised to accept President F. King Alexander's resignation". The Oregonian. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  27. ^ Stripling, Jack; Thomason, Andy (March 23, 2021). "Oregon State President Resigns Amid Criticism of Past Handling of Sexual Misconduct". The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  28. ^ Doug Krikorian, "LBSU Reflects Its President", Long Beach Press Telegram, 13 May 2007
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