By: Lanetra Bennett
September 22, 2014</p>
<p>Tallahassee, FL - FSU’s Board of Trustees could name a new president as soon as Tuesday. A search committee agreed on the list of finalists Monday without scratching off any names.</p>
<p>Lakey, an FSU Ph.D. Student and university employee was among several students and faculty to advocate for Florida Senator John Thrasher’s name to be removed from the final candidate list. In response to the failed efforts, Lakey says “We are actually not surprised at all. It does seem like corruption is where FSU is at this point.”</p>
<p>The motion passed with 19 committee members in favor of the motion for Senator Thrasher to be considered for FSU’s next president. The other candidates: Michele Wheatly, Richard Marchase, and Michael Martin, will also be passed on to the FSU Board Trustees for final interviews.</p>
<p>Protesters and others who don’t agree with Thrasher’s candidacy say the other three candidates are more qualified because Thrasher does not have a background in academics.</p>
<p>Before the vote, committee member and faculty member, Dr. Eric Walker, said, “I can’t in good conscience–I think it would be a form of irresponsibility. I think it would even be a form of professional malpractice for me to send all four of these forward.”</p>
<p>Community feedback from an online survey gave Thrasher an eleven percent overall rating when it comes to being qualified to run FSU.</p>
<p>Lakey says, “With 87 percent saying that he failed. Still the presidential search advisory committee forwards him on. It’s clear they’re not listening to the students.”</p>
<p>FSU student Jerry Funt says, “I feel ignored. I feel voiceless. I feel ashamed to be at FSU right now. My love for the university has never faltered, my expectations that the university would do good has never really taken as much as a hit as this.”</p>
<p>The Board of Trustees will interview each of the four candidates Tuesday, starting at 8 a.m. A new president could be chosen by the end of the day.