THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, March 8, 1996 TAG: 9603080562
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY MASON PETERS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ELIZABETH CITY LENGTH: Short : 47 lines
Mickey L. Burnim, interim chancellor of Elizabeth City State University, reportedly has spread the word that he hopes his job will soon be made permanent.
According to the ECSU's student newspaper, The Compass, Burnim has privately notified various University of North Carolina officials that he wants to be one of the candidates now being considered for permanent ECSU chancellor.
The college paper, which will appear on campus today, apparently scooped the educational community (and other media outlets) on Burnim's availability. Burnim could not be reached Thursday and top faculty officials withheld comment.
In the months since he took over the acting chancellorship at ECSU, Burnim has won many friends and admirers on campus and in the Albemarle community.
A number of ECSU professors and officials reportedly have signed a letter urging that Burnim be confirmed by the University of North Carolina Board of Governors as permanent chancellor.
Burnim, a 46-year old Texas economist, came to ECSU Sept. 1 from North Carolina Central University in Durham, where he was provost and vice-chancellor for academic affairs.
Burnim was appointed interim chancellor by UNC President C.D. Spangler Jr., following the sudden resignation of former chancellor Jimmy R. Jenkins Jr. Jenkins stepped down after 12 years in the top ECSU post, saying that he wanted to resume his teaching career as a biology professor.
When Spangler sent Burnim to ECSU as interim chancellor, he directed the university's board of trustees to appoint a search committee to find a permanent chancellor.
Burnim reportedly is highly regarded by Spangler and others in the top UNC administration at Chapel Hill.
The search committee, headed by ECSU Trustee Stanley Green, a Raleigh banker, must recommend at least two names to the ECSU trustees as candidates for the job. The trustees, in turn, forward the names to Spangler.
The UNC President can accept one or both of the proposed candidates or recommend his own nominees to the Board of Governors.
Ultimately, the UNC Governors select the new head of ECSU. by CNB