Today Kentucky State University‘s President M. Christopher Brown II suddenly resigned from his position amid formal inquiries into the university’s finances. Unfortunately, this is Brown’s second time resigning as an HBCU president over finances, as he also once headed Alcorn State University. Learn more about this unfolding story by Sylvia Goodman at the Louisville Courier Journal below.
Kentucky State University President M. Christopher Brown II submitted his resignation to the KSU Board of Regents during a special meeting Tuesday.
The meeting had been convened to appoint an external auditor “to review the current financial status of Kentucky State University,” according to its agenda.
The board unanimously accepted Brown’s resignation, with two members absent.
“We anticipate a cordial, collaborative and seamless transition and wish Dr. Brown well as he follows his interest in other professional endeavors,” board chairperson Elaine Farris said in a statement.
The board voted to appoint Clara Ross Stamps, who served as senior vice president for brand identity and university relations, as the acting president and appointed Gregory Rush as the new chief financial officer.
“As the Kentucky State University community comes together, with a renewed appreciation for our collegiate campus atmosphere and a commitment to our core mission and values, I am humbled and energized by the opportunity to serve our students and community following what has certainly been a time of unprecedented change,” Stamps said. “I pledge to labor with our faculty, staff, alumni, and supporters, and will be accessible, transparent, accountable, and communicative, so together we can positively impact the lives of our students and society while advancing Kentucky State onward and upward.”
Brown was hired as KSU president in 2017, just four years after resigning under pressure from Alcorn State University over financial concerns amid an audit.
In December 2013, following criticism over $89,000 spent on his presidential house without proper bidding, the Alcorn State board hired a forensic auditor to investigate the school’s finances and placed Brown on administrative leave, after which he resigned.
The KSU board will discuss details on the search process for the university’s next president at its September quarterly meeting.
