Saint Augustine’s Uni Appoints Dr. Marcus as Interim President

TL/DR –

Saint Augustine’s University in North Carolina has appointed Dr. Marcus H. Burgess as the interim president as they search for a permanent candidate. The announcement comes after the university’s Board of Trustees fired the former president Dr. Christine McPhail, who had taken the role in 2021. This change also occurs as the university faces the loss of its accreditation, although Dr. McPhail’s attorney maintains that her dismissal is not related to the issue.

RALEIGH, N.C. — Saint Augustine’s University has appointed Dr. Marcus H. Burgess as the interim president, as the search for a permanent head continues.

Burgess, who previously served as Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Claflin University, assumes the role with immediate effect, the university announced on Wednesday.

This announcement comes in the wake of the university’s Board of Trustees’ decision to terminate the contract of former president, Dr. Christine Johnson McPhail, a few days ago.

McPhail, appointed president in 2021, succeeded her late husband Irving Pressly McPhail, who died from a COVID-19 related illness in October 2020.

In an interview with the N&O, McPhail revealed that the Board of Trustees did not provide specific reasons for her termination.

The leadership change at the university comes at a time when the institution’s accreditation has been rescinded.

However, David Tracey, Dr. McPhail’s attorney, has stated that her termination is unrelated to the university’s loss of accreditation.

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