Louisiana Commissioner of Higher Education Jim Purcell has been passed over for the position of chancellor by the Florida Board of Governors, Purcell said Wednesday.
Purcell was chosen by the committee as one of four finalists from a group of 19 candidates for the position. After a final round of interviews, the committee decided to recommend Marshall T. Criser III, chair of the Florida Higher Education Coordinating Council and head of AT&T Florida. Criser is also the son of a former University of Florida president.
Candidates had to apply or be nominated for the position by Oct. 31. Earlier this month, The Gainesville Sun reported Purcell applied for the position himself.
The Florida position would hold largely the same responsibilities as Purcell’s current position, though the Florida Board of Governors does not oversee the state’s community colleges as the state’s Board of Regents does.
Purcell said he is not actively looking for another job at this time, though he said if an “interesting” opportunity came up, he may apply.
Purcell was named commissioner of higher education, a position which includes membership in the Board of Regents, in February 2011. He previously held higher education administrative positions in Arkansas and Oklahoma.
Since Purcell took the job, Louisiana colleges and universities have faced substantial cuts in state appropriations as part of Gov. Bobby Jindal’s plan to reform higher education.
Purcell has said it is his responsibility to formulate a plan to help the state’s colleges deal with lost state funds while continuing to offer quality education to a wide range of students.
Purcell has pushed for programs in the past that will allow universities more authority to adjust their own tuitions based on market rates. He said this will allow Louisiana universities to remain competitive in the face of decreased state funding.
Purcell also heads the Tuition Task Force, a committee created by a law passed earlier this year tasked with making recommendations for future higher education policies. The task force met Wednesday to discuss ideas before compiling them into a report, which will be forwarded to the state legislature by January.