In a unanimous decision Sunday, the Board of Directors at Susquehanna University elected L. Jay Lemons as the new president of Susquehanna. Lemons will leave his current post as Chancellor of the University of Virginia's College at Wise to take the new position.
A search firm working with Susquehanna officials contacted Lemons this summer. The Pennsylvania school's search committee named him its top choice in August, said Susquehanna spokeswoman Betsy Robertson. "His experience in higher education and ... his commitment to the liberal arts" made him a prime candidate and a "very good fit," Robertson said.
Lemons has been instrumental in enhancing the quality of life and education at U.Va.-Wise, a small college in Southwest Virginia that shares its Board of Visitors with the University. He improved admissions standards, was influential in planning construction of the library and football stadium and produced a capital campaign of $20 million, a dramatic increase from an initial goal of $13 million. Under Lemons, Wise was rated the No. 2 public liberal arts college in the South by U.S. News & World Report.
In early September, Lemons announced the possibility of a job offer at Susquhanna. The opportunity was too appealing for him not to accept the position, said Jane Meade, director of College Relations at Wise.
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"It was a tough decision. Jay loves U.Va.-Wise but he had to do this for his family and for himself professionally," Meade said. Meade said there was little astonishment when the Wise community received the news.
"This was not a great surprise ... he's a wonderful asset to this college and we are very sad to see him leave ... but happy for his new opportunities."
"He's an outstanding leader," University Rector John P. Ackerly III said. "We've been concerned whether we could keep him or not."
Susquehanna University lost its former president, Joel Cunningham, when a search firm from the University of the South contacted him. Acting President Sara Kirkland replaced him in July.
University President John T. Casteen will travel to Wise tomorrow to meet with Lemons and Susquehanna's Board of Directors.
Casteen will name an interim chancellor tomorrow and eventually form a search committee to locate a new chancellor.
There is no exact date set for when Lemons will leave Wise. He is scheduled to leave in mid-January to coincide with the beginning of Susquehanna's spring semester but may stay as late as February.
He is "one of the most highly esteemed persons connected with the University. People are sorry to see him go. We [the Board] wish him the best of luck," Ackerly said.
Meade echoed sentiments of Lemons's personable and charismatic nature. "Everyone here has loved Jay. He'll be greatly missed."
Lemons could not be reached for comment.
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