After revealing numerous spring plans and plans for the future, Dr. Cynthia Warrick, the interim president of Grambling State University, announced that she is not planning to apply for a permanent position.
“Well, while I am confident that I can make a positive impact at Grambling; when I signed my contract to become interim president, I acknowledged that I would not apply for the permanent position; and I will honor that” said Warrick, in a press release. “I have embraced this opportunity as an honor and as long as I am here at Grambling, I will continue to use my time and energy to work on the initiatives I have started to make the university its best. I truly believe in Grambling, its students, faculty, and staff; so I hope everyone will continue to work with me to ensure its future growth and success.”
Warrick became interim president July 1 and since then has made tremendous plans for Grambling’s future. She noted major accomplishments as student recruitment strategies, more than $470,000 in donations and opened new masses of communication.
Warrick credited her administration for creating a better foundation for recruitment, advancement and fundraising.
“I just wish we could have given her a chance,” said Pariz Richard, a junior social work major from New Orleans. “We haven’t had a long-lasting president since my freshman year, I would like to see one stay.”
Warrick said she think one of the reasons why GSU needed an interim was to clear up some big issues.
“Of course making these tough decisions are not popular – and that's no secret. A lot of people in the university and outside the university don't like it,” she said “but the decisions I’m having to make are to keep Grambling alive and moving forward and growing.”
Warrick said her purpose of being at GSU is to lay the foundation for the next president, and she believes she did her part.
“My first semester was pretty exciting, because Grambling is an iconic school and having so many various activities and challenges going on at the same time – I think we did pretty well,” she said.
Although she is not applying for a permanent position, Warrick hopes the student body, the facility and staff support her and have a successful year.