During this year’s Homecoming weekend, on Friday, Oct. 28, Dr. David B. Burks announced he will retire as president of Harding University and gave his formal notice to the university’s Board of Trustees at their semiannual meeting.
Burks, who has served as Harding’s president for 24 years, is the university’s fourth president in the 87 years of Harding’s history. He will officially retire after the spring semester of 2013.
“The plan has always been for me to retire at the end of the 2012-2013 year,” Burks said. “I was originally supposed to make the announcement this coming May, but I wanted to give the Board sufficient time to start searching for the next president. The Board has always known about the announcement, but with everyone aware of my plans now, they can start the search earlier.”
According to the official press statement released by Harding Public Relations, the search committee for the next president will be led by Dr. John Simmons, chairman of the Board of Trustees, and will consist of six other Board members.
“The work Dr. Burks does is extraordinary, showing vision and faith and a track record of success and excellence,” Simmons said in the press release. “His leadership has continued the work of his predecessors by expanding the university’s degree programs, promoting academic rigor and integrity, improving the fiscal stability of the university, and developing other initiatives to enhance the Harding experience for her students by integrating faith, learning and living.”
Burks said it is too early to tell if the Board will select the next president from within or outside of the Harding community.
“For the first part of the selection process, the Board will create a framework of what they are looking for in a president,” Burks said. “Then after that they will set deadlines for applications and resumés.”
Once he retires, Burks said he will become chancellor of the university and Dr. Clifton L. Ganus, Burks’ predecessor and current chancellor, will become the chancellor emeritus. Burks graduated from Harding as a student in 1966 and joined the faculty in 1967, receiving his Ph.D. in 1974 from Florida State University. He became dean of the College of Business in 1977 and president in 1987.
As chancellor, Burks said he will continue to serve the school, but in a supportive role for the next president and administration, not carrying any of the responsibilities he did as president or CEO of the school.
“I am looking forward to having more flexibility and being freed from the day-to-day responsibilities I have as the president,” Burks said.
As for what he will miss the most about being Harding’s president, Burks said he will miss interacting with the students on a regular basis and being involved in creating new programs and new buildings for the school.
