Roslyn Clark-Artis, who interviewed Wednesday to become the next president of West Virginia State University, has withdrawn her candidacy, the school announced in a news release.
WVSU spokeswoman Kimberly Osborne said Clark-Artis contacted the school's Board of Governors early Thursday to "express her deep appreciation for the opportunity to return to her alma mater," but reiterate her commitment to her current institution, Florida Memorial University.
Clark-Artis was the only one of the three presidential candidates who is an alum of WVSU. She who was a Mountain State University administrator for a dozen years, and spent several minutes of her interview explaining "what the heck happened" at the now-defunct private university.
"It was both a privilege and a pleasure to visit the campus and to meet with members of the campus community and beyond. However, despite my undying affection for 'the place I love so dear,' I am not the right person to lead the University into the next phase of its history," Clark-Artis said in a statement. "As I answered questions throughout the day and continued referencing my experiences at Florida Memorial University, it was clear to me that I love FMU! The students, the staff, the faculty and the community have become my new family. I have a vision for this University, and I intent to stay here and realize it. WVSU is my past-FMU is my present!"
The WVSU Board of Governors will continue to move forward with the search for the University's 11th President, and plans to meet at noon today in the Erickson Alumni Center. An item regarding presidential appointment, contract and compensation is listed on the agenda.