Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, January 30, 1995 TAG: 9501300075
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ALLISON BLAKE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Long
Douglas Covington, president of Cheyney University in Pennsylvania, starts work June 1.
``My wife, Beatrice, and I are just overwhelmed with this expression of warmth and enthusiasm. I am indeed honored to be chosen the next president of Radford University,'' said Covington, with his wife at his side.
Radford's Board of Visitors voted unanimously for Covington at a formal meeting in Preston Hall auditorium, which was filled with faculty, students, members of the RU Foundation, Radford Mayor Tommy Starnes, U.S. District Judge James and Barbara Turk, and other university supporters. From the faculty to the foundation board, the selection drew praise.
``This gentleman is obviously well qualified, and just what we need. Everybody feels good about him,'' said Jerry Jebo, foundation president.
Covington, 59, will be paid $137,000. He also receives a joint tenured professorship from Radford's psychology and special education departments
A native of Winston-Salem, N.C., Covington said during his two days of interviews last week that he and his wife hope to settle permanently in the region. This fall, the pair, parents of two grown sons, hope to find time to drive the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Covington has been president of Cheyney, the country's first historically black college, since 1992. The school has 1,519 students. Radford has about 9,100.
The new president said Sunday that he's long been aware of Radford's progressive, "vibrant" program, and looks upon his new assignment as an opportunity for growth and professional development.
In a brief interview after his appointment, Covington talked about a few of his expectations.
"I do feel the highest order of business is to focus on internal relations" and meet with the faculty, he said. Saying he does not want "to make a speech or preach to them," Covington said he wants to "let them know my highest priority is the students. My philosophy is, schools are for students."
He knows that Gov. George Allen proposed cutting the school's budget $1.6 million. Covington said he would have to spend a great deal of time with legislators. Radford and five other universities that submitted plans for restructuring late are fighting in the General Assembly to have funding restored.
"One of the keys is getting an understanding from the faculty and student body, what my role is going to be," said Covington. He said the balance between being accessible and representing the university "in the community and in the capital" must be struck carefully.
Covington comes to Radford after more than a year of troubles on the campus, of which he is aware.
"I have concerns," he said Sunday. "Those concerns, however, are not reservations. They will challenge my energy, expertise, and [the] ingenuity I can bring to this institution."
Last summer saw the departure of former president Donald Dedmon amid faculty allegations of financial misuse of his discretionary fund. He later was cleared of wrongdoing. Then came Radford's restructuring woes. Even the presidential search had problems.
Jairy C. Hunter, president of Charleston Southern University, decided to stay put after an outpouring of support from his university. Faculty and others at Radford, meantime, said the search was not entirely confidential, as it was supposed to be.
Search committee chairwoman Karen Waldron has vigorously defended the integrity of the search. She and other university leaders note that Hunter and Covington both were unanimous choices of the search committee - which originally had been asked to come up with three finalists.
Before his stint at Cheyney, Covington was chancellor of Winston-Salem State University, with 2,600 students, and president of Alabama A&M University in Huntsville, which has 6,800 students. He holds a bachelor's degree from Central State University in Ohio, and master's and doctoral degrees from Ohio State University.
He is an amateur painter and plays a bit of basketball - "although I don't go one-on-one anymore," he said.
Colleagues of Covington's interviewed last week called him a respectful person who is first and foremost an educator.
"Dr. Covington is a fine person, a very brilliant and capable administrator. He's a person with a personality to deal with a multitude of concerns," said Wilbert Greenfield, senior presidential scholar for the national Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education, the Washington, D.C.-based association that represents the country's 117 historically black colleges and universities.
E. "Sonny" Harris, a Cheyney professor who is head of the school's faculty union, said Covington has "always, always been very respectful to the union, and respectful to me as president of the union.
"He was very interested in bringing top-quality administrators on, which we have no say [about], but he made sure there was faculty on every committee that had administrative appointments," said Harris.
Covington came to Cheyney after it experienced years of financial disarray. Its deficit had gone up to $6.8 million. The school now posts a small surplus.
"He is able to go out and make a good appearance and raise money and recruit students," Harris said.
Cheyney's provost, recruited by Covington from Virginia State University, said Covington is "very impressive and very effective" when it comes to representing the school with the legislature.
"Although Virginia is unique, I think his appreciation for Southern politics will help him tremendously," said W. Clinton Pettus, a former vice president at Virginia State.
Whatever skirmishes Radford has endured this year, there was little evidence of them Sunday. Even Dedmon issued a statement, saying he "will do anything to assist our new president in any way he wishes."
"If nothing else, [Covington] should help us to refocus our energies and bring about the positive things Radford should be about," said Felix Amenkhienan, noting the day's sense of unity and harmony.
"When I met Dr. Covington, I knew he was the man," said board member George Smith of Shawsville.
"This is a splendid day," said faculty president Tom Mullis.
Radford Rector Bernard Wampler closed out Sunday's meeting by introducing the student body president, Ali Hebler.
"She has the crown," he joked.
Indeed, the senior stuck a tartan RU Highlander baseball cap backwards on the new president's head, and, in a final impulse, gave him a hug.
"It's a new day," said Nancy Wilson, a board member from Salem. "Radford University is in a new era, and a new day. Anybody who wants to stay back in the dark - hey, I'll give him a flashlight."
by CNB