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Clark Atlanta President Retires After Months of Struggle

By Michelle D. Anderson
Black College Wire

cau.edu Walter Broadnax

After six years as president, a term often rocked by controversy and opposition, Walter D. Broadnax, president of Clark Atlanta University, recently announced his retirement during the college's annual winter Board of Trustees meeting.

"These past six years have been very rewarding for my wife Angel and me, and we will miss the students and the special contact we have had with the many extraordinary people in the CAU family," Broadnax said in an official statement. "While it is difficult to leave this wonderful job at CAU, I am ready for the new and exciting opportunities that come with retirement."

Clark Atlanta sophomore Sade Benton welcomed the announcement.

"Since I've been here, I haven't seen any changes or developments," Benton said. The fashion merchandising major said she wanted to see more of an effort among the administration to get involved with students and advance the quality of students' education.

Shane Bundy, a Clark Atlanta sophomore, said that Broadnax's leave might have been prompted by the fact that administration has not been honest with students and alumni about the state and progress of their institution.

"A lot of stuff going on will eventually come to light," Bundy said. "Maybe we're still in debt."

Bundy praised the social work academic program but expressed disappointment with the fact that the nursing program was phased out. She said the program was still intact when she applied but by the time she arrived on campus, the program was gone.

After confirming Broadnax's retirement on Feb. 15, the university announced that Broadnax's tenure would officially end on July 31. Carlton E. Brown, the university's executive vice president, will take over as interim president on Aug. 1.

Brown, who assumed his position as executive vice president on July 18, formerly served as the president of Savannah State University for almost 10 years. Before his tenure at Savannah State, Brown had worked at the historically black Hampton University (Va.) and at Old Dominion University (Va.). He had been charged with handling the day-to-day operations of Clark Atlanta while Broadnax focused on raising money.

Broadnax, who is the second president to have led Clark Atlanta after the merger of Atlanta University and Clark College in 1988, has been credited with increasing enrollment, gaining the university's reaccreditation, securing funds for the renovation of three existing residence halls and for making plans for the formation of the Center for Cancer Research and Therapeutic Development, according to a release.

cau.edu Harkness Hall, Clark Atlanta University

Clark Atlanta appeared on the Washington Monthly's 2008 list of "Best Colleges and Universities" and during October, US News & World Report ranked Clark Atlanta University as No. 24 out of 34 best historically black colleges and institutions for the publication's historic, special edition.

Despite these accolades, Broadnax has struggled to satisfy students.

Junior Jason Clarke agreed with Benton's and Bundy's sentiments saying that he didn't approve of how the administration spent money or phased out academic programs.

"I'm happy because maybe the money that is needed for other programs will actually be allocated to the departments that need them," Clarke said.

The marketing major said that one of his friends was forced to leave the school after the engineering program was phased out. He said she didn't want to leave, but needed to in order to obtain a degree in her desired course of study. She had come to Clark Atlanta specifically for its engineering program.

In 2003, a year after Broadnax replaced former president Thomas Cole, the college made the decision to cut five programs. Two years later, a group of faculty and students from the department filed a suit against the decision in a Fulton County court. The Supreme Court of Georgia eventually ruled against the group.

Because the university had struggled to rid itself of a $7.5 million deficit and a $25 million cash flow shortfall, Broadnax raised tuition, ended academic programs, and stopped hiring faculty and staff. While these changes took place, students had also complained about unsafe buildings, poor registration systems, and a lack of communication between students and administration.

Students carried out various protest actions to express their resistance to Broadnax's leadership.

Last year, on Feb. 28, students protested on campus and solicited petition signatures asking Broadnax to resign after a 5 percent increase in tuition. Later, during April, 114 faculty members cast a vote of "no confidence" in Broadnax's leadership, and later that month, students enrolled in the college's African-America Studies and Africana Women's Studies program sued the administration for breach of contract because they said they didn't have enough time to finish their programs. In May, students held a press conference on the steps of Robert W. Woodruff Library and demanded that Broadnax be removed from his position.

Last fall, Broadnax and Brown met with students and media to discuss the improvements they planned to implement during the 2007-2008 academic school year. Brown said changes in Clark Atlanta's future would better customer service and raising more money outside of tuition increases.

"My hope is that I go before someone has to ask me. That's my pitch you might say. I came to serve. I want every hour that I'm here to be of positive service," Broadnax said during the Oct. 17 meeting.

Michelle D. Anderson is a student at Spelman College and a writer for the Maroon Tiger at Morehouse College. She is a regular contributor to Black College Wire.

Posted Feb. 19, 2008