Sources close to the South Carolina State University Board of Trustees say that W. Franklin Evans will resign as president tomorrow, and will be replaced by current Board Chairman Charles Way as the permanent president.
Sources spoke upon the condition of anonymity, as the decision has not yet been announced to the university community. University officials tonight announced a teleconference meeting scheduled for 3:00 p.m. tomorrow, during which trustees will meet in closed session about contractual and employment matters.
Way is expected to receive a four-year contract.
Evans was named interim president last July, after the firing of former president Thomas Elzey in March, and the firing of the entire board of trustees two months later.
Embroiled in controversies over leadership, finance and scandal for the last five years, the university has rebounded under Evans and the new board operating under the control of state legislature. After millions in cuts to finances and programs, the university reported a budget surplus in April, and increases in freshmen applications.
But the board and state legislators sparred over the presidential search process, as university executives wanted more autonomy to conduct the search, while lawmakers wanted final approval over the hiring of search firms.
