Randy Dunn

Randy Dunn
Randy Dunn as president of Murray State University in February, 2011
President of Youngstown State University
Term	July 2013 – Present
Predecessor	Dr. Cynthia Anderson
Alma mater	B.S, Illinois State University M.S., Illinois State University Ed.D., University of Illinois
Spouse	Dr. Ronda Baker Dunn (since 2007)

Randy J. Dunn is president of Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio.

Early life and career

Randy Dunn graduated from Westmer High School in Mercer County, Illinois in 1976. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in teacher education from Illinois State University in 1980. He also completed his Masters degree in educational administration and foundations from Illinois State in 1983. Dunn received his doctorate in educational administration from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign in 1991.^[1][2]

Randy Dunn began his career as an elementary teacher at Gibson City, Illinois Grade School, where he worked from 1980 to 1983. He moved into educational administration when he took the position of principal at Paw Paw, Illinois Grade School for the 1983-84 school year. He then moved on to Roanoke-Benson Middle School in Benson, Illinois, where he served as principal from 1984 to 1989. Dunn worked as superintendent of schools in Argenta, Illinois from 1989 to 1991. He then served as superintendent of schools in Chester, Illinois from 1991 to 1994. After leaving Chester, Dunn worked as an assistant professor at Memphis State University for one year before taking a position as an associate professor at Southern Illinois University Carbondale in 1995. Dunn later became a department chair at SIU in 2000. In 2004, Dunn was selected to be the Illinois State Superintendent of Education. He went on leave from his position at SIU in order to serve in that position.^[3]

Murray State tenure

In May 2006, Dunn was selected to become president of Murray State University. The Murray State board of regents approved Dunn's hiring by a 7-4 vote during a special meeting in May 2006. Dunn originally told the board that he would not accept the Murray State presidency without a near-unanimous vote from the board of regents, but he changed his mind and accepted the position after talking with his supporters on the board. Dunn was selected to replace King Alexander, who left Murray State in 2005 to take a job as the president of California State University, Long Beach. At the time of his selection, Dunn was on leave as chairman of the Department of Educational Administration and Higher Education at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Randy Dunn took off at Murray State on December 1, 2006.^[4][5][6]

During Dunn's tenure as president, the Hold Thy Banner High campaign came to a close. The fundraising campaign, which began in 2005 prior to Dunn's presidency, ended in October 2012. The campaign raised $71.73 million to benefit student scholarship endowments, support athletics, purchase new research and laboratory equipment, and advance campus improvements. The campaign was the largest fundraising effort in the history of the university, and it included a $3.3 million donation to the athletic department that resulted in renaming the Regional Special Events Center as the CFSB Center along with construction of a new basketball practice facility.^[7]

In 2008, Dunn had announced a highly publicized goal of increasing enrollment to 12,000 students at Murray State by 2012. When Dunn took office at Murray State in 2006, total enrollment was at 10,304. In the next two years, enrollment fell to 10,156 in 2007 and 10,022 in 2008. Following the enrollment campaign, the university did experience marginal growth. 2012 total enrollment was 10,832; however, that total was only about 500 students more than when Dunn took office 6 years earlier and significantly short of the 12,000 student goal.^[8][9]

In 2010, Dunn applied for the position of president of the University of Tennessee. In October of that year, the UT presidential search panel announced that Randy Dunn was not among the finalists for the position. Dunn applied for the vacant president position at Missouri State University, and he was announced as one of the finalist for that position in September 2012. After visiting the campus during final interviews in October, Dunn stated that the Missouri State position would be his capstone presidency and that it was exactly the kind of place where his background would be beneficial. He then announced on October 15 that he was withdrawing his candidacy for the position. In his statement regarding the decision, he stated that "it has become increasingly clear to me in the past few days from various statements, reports, and editorial commentary that the Springfield community has wanted “one of their own” to provide the next era of leadership for Missouri State. As such, I have come to the conclusion that—even if I were to be chosen to be Missouri State’s next president—the level of support necessary as an external candidate to guide that institution into a bold and dynamic future would be lacking." He then expressed his intent to remain at Murray State; however, less than two months later he applied and was named as one of three finalists for the position of Florida Education Commissioner. Dunn was ultimately passed over for the position in Florida.^[10][11][12]

On March 15, 2013, the Murray State board of regents voted 7-4 to let Randy Dunn's contract expire, rather than extending it beyond its June 30, 2014 expiration date. A report reviewed by board of regents members prior to the vote indicated that the university's academic standing had fallen since Dunn took over leadership, and enrollment at most of the regional campuses had fallen while enrollment at the main campus remained relatively flat during his tenure as president. The report showed that the university had dropped significantly in at least three major academic rankings. The report also highlighted a deteriorating relationship between Dunn and the board of regents, especially over the last year. Murray State's graduation rate dropped from 59 percent in 2006 to 51 percent in 2012, and the freshman retention rate dropped from 77 percent to 71 percent over the same time period. Controversy surrounded the contract vote, because it was preceded by social gathering the night before the vote at Regent Sharon Green’s home in Murray. During that gathering, a quorum of board members were present and informally discussed some university business. Opponents of the contract vote argued that the social gathering constituted an illegal meeting, because public notice was not issued prior to the social gathering and there was no record of minutes from the social gathering. As a result of the complaints against the board, a re-vote was held on May 10, 2013. In the second vote, the board of regents upheld their original 7-4 decision to let Randy Dunn's contract expire.^{[13][14][15][16]}

Youngstown State tenure

On April 3, 2013, Dunn was named one of eight semi-finalists for the position of president of Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio. Following a round of interviews held on April 12 and April 13, Dunn was named one of three finalists for the position. On May 10, Randy Dunn was named by the Youngstown State University board of trustees as the new president of the university. Dunn signed his employment contract with Youngstown State on June 7, 2013, and began his tenure on July 15. Under the contract, Dunn will earn $375,000 per year for three years and receive benefits including health care, term life insurance, disability insurance, residence in the newly remodeled Pollock House, an American-made car, and membership at a local country club and one civic club. Dunn will not receive pay increases each year under his contract. ^{[17][18][1][19][20]}

Personal life

He began dating Dr. Rhonda Baker in 2006 while he was the Illinois State Superintendent of Education and she was a regional superintendent in southern Illinois. They married in a ceremony held at the president's home, known as Oakhurst, on the Murray State campus in October 2007.^[21][22]

References