Chancellor Sheri Everts has appointed Randy Edwards, who has served at the position as interim since July 2016, as Vice Chancellor for University Advancement, according to an email from Everts sent to all students on Tuesday.
Edwards, who earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from ASU in the 1970s, served as Vice Chancellor and Chief of Staff for two years and Dean of the Walker College of Business for nine years after serving at the Department of Accounting since 1981, according to his resume that he submitted for the position.
Edwards said that his primary goal in the future is to provide more funding for academic scholarships.
“When I was a student here in the 1970s, a scholarship changed my life,” Edwards said. “That’s what motivates me in this job.”
Edwards also said that scholarships still change students’ lives as it gives them opportunities they wouldn’t have otherwise.
Along with his focus on academic scholarships, Edwards said he also wants to provide funding for some of the older buildings on campus such as I.G. Greer and Sanford Hall.
Instead of all this funding coming from student fees and state appropriations, Edwards said it would stem from private donors which is what the school has generally used in the past to fund various projects.
Edwards said that he has well established relationships with several donors and potential donors.
“It’s hard to name a donor whom I don’t know or don’t know about,” Edwards said.
Student Body Vice President Kendrick Dawson, who served on the search committee that recommended Edwards, said that the committee consulted student surveys in the selection process.
Dawson said that these student surveys were students’ opinions of presentations that weighed the pros and cons of each of the two candidates who visited the campus.
Regarding the surveys, Dawson said that they were not overwhelmingly in favor of either candidate.
Concerning the pros and cons of Edwards in the presentation, Dawson said he could not disclose that information.
Dawson also said that he has served on many search committees in the past and that this one was unbiased in their selection process and was managed well.
In terms of what he hopes Edwards can accomplish at his new position going forward, Dawson said that he hopes Edwards continues to fight for student scholarships.
What was unique about Edwards to Dawson personally compared to the other candidate, Dawson said, was his connection to the university and his years of experience at the institution.
“Randy Edwards is Appalachian,” Dawson said.
Story by: Ben Sessoms, Associate News Editor