Board of Governors confirm Interim President Stacy Volnick’s reappointment
The Board of Governors (BOG) met Wednesday to confirm the renewed appointment of Interim President Stacy Volnick.
Volnick has served as interim president since 2022 as the school has searched for a successor to former President John Kelly. On Nov. 14, 2023, FAU’s Board of Trustees (BOT) voted to extend Volnick’s appointment as interim president and reconvened on Feb. 8 to approve her employment agreement as interim president.
Piero Bussani made his inaugural appearance as the BOT chair at a BOG meeting to present the reappointment confirmation of Volnick. He requested that the BOG affirm Volnick’s continued service as interim president at FAU.
“Throughout these past few months, it’s worth noting that Dr. Volnick and the staff administration has shown extraordinary resilience and have led by example,” Bussani said. “Dr. Volnick has kept out of the fray, head down, doing the hard work that needs to get done at FAU, laser-focused on improving the school.”
Bussani detailed the contract terms for Volnick’s extension as interim president, crafted in close collaboration with the BOG and FAU’s general counsel. The contract highlights include a term extending to Dec. 13, 2024, or until a permanent president is appointed with an annual salary of $525,000 in addition to a retirement supplement and all standard university employment benefits. The BOG retains the authority to terminate the appointment at any time by majority vote.
Another one of the terms of the contract is that following her tenure as interim president, Volnick would return to her full-time role as Chief Operating Officer and Vice President of Administrative Affairs unless her employment with FAU is terminated.
As interim president, Volnick oversees the operation and administration of the university, adhering to the BOT’s policies and state laws.
“I am a three-time alum, but more importantly, I am a first gen [a higher education student whose parent or parents did not earn a bachelor’s degree], and 30% of our students are first gen, so I hope they can look at myself and other that I know have moved up in the system and within higher education and can serve as role models for them,” Volnick said.
Brian Lamb, chair of the BOG, congratulated Volnick for her achievements in this position, expressing that Volnick has “gotten off to a fantastic start” and saying her reappointment is “well deserved.”
“Dr. Volnick,… I principally want you to know how grateful this state is…[for] your service,” Lamb said. “We owe you a tremendous amount of gratitude for your public service, and I am proud to carry this motion.”
Bussani noted that during Volnick’s tenure, FAU has climbed 19 points in rankings.
Laurie Mermet is a staff writer for the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email lmermet2022@fau.edu or DM laurie.mmt on Instagram.
Latest University Press
- Staff Predictions: Majority of staff predicts 0-2 start for the OwlsFlorida Atlantic’s football team (0-1) is coming off a 16-10 loss to Michigan State University last Friday. They had the opportunity to secure the game in their final drive, but quarterback Cam Fancher was short on the final fourth down. On Saturday, FAU will be playing in their home stadium, Howard Schnellenberger Field, to take...
- ‘A lot of dictates are coming from the Board of Governors’: FAU stakeholders continue to raise concerns during presidential listening sessionA week after Florida Atlantic University’s first Presidential Search listening session on Aug. 29 — where students were noticeably sparse — the Buffkin/Baker search firm, which the search committee has hired to assist in the search for a new president, held the second listening session of the semester on Thursday. Different FAU stakeholders brought up...
- FAU’s New Era Barbershop: ‘The Poor Man’s Country Club’The New Era Barbershop on Florida Atlantic University’s Boca Raton campus has served as “the poor man’s country club” for students on campus, according to shop owner Angel Santana. “When you think about the country club feel, it’s a membership. It’s people that get together and talk about politics, sports or anything,” said Santana. “The...
- Continuing his penmanship: Brandin Bryant’s release of his second book and the life lessons withinFlorida Atlantic University football alumnus and published children’s book author Brandin Bryant has published again with the release of his sophomore book “Can I Pet That Dog?” “It’s a fun, goofy book about a kid who just can’t keep his hands to himself and he wants to touch a dog, but the dog has boundaries....
- FAU Hockey: Overview of the Division III team’s first seasonAfter having a Division II hockey team for 22 years, Florida Atlantic University is introducing a Division III hockey team for the upcoming season. Both teams are members of AAU College Hockey and the College Hockey South Conference (CHS). Head coach Andrew Yagoda, director of the Florida Panthers Scholastic Hockey League, wrote in an email...
- FAU students continue to build bridges in Eswatini, AfricaThe Florida Atlantic University Bridge Program sends civil engineering students to Eswatini, a country in Southeast Africa, annually to construct cable-suspended footbridges that connect the local communities to essential services. FAU’s College of Engineering and Computer Science established this program in 2020 with Engineers in Action (EIA), a civil and social organization. Since then, the...