Board names finalist for Georgia Gwinnett College presidency

Jann Joseph has been named the finalist for the presidential vacancy at Georgia Gwinnett College. PHOTO CREDIT: INDIANA UNIVERSITY SOUTH BEND.

Jann Joseph has been named the finalist for the presidential vacancy at Georgia Gwinnett College. PHOTO CREDIT: INDIANA UNIVERSITY SOUTH BEND.

The Georgia Board of Regents announced Thursday that the interim leader of Indiana University’s South Bend campus is the sole finalist for the current presidential vacancy at Georgia Gwinnett College.

Jann L. Joseph, interim chancellor for Indiana University South Bend, is in line to lead the largest higher education institution in Gwinnett County. Georgia Gwinnett College has more than 12,000 students. One in eight students are 25 or older.

“The opportunity to lead GGC would be a dream come true,” Joseph said in a statement. “The path of my career in higher education intersects perfectly with the vision and goals GGC has for the future. My background and values also fit with the culture and priorities of the institution from the Board of Regents to the faculty, students, staff and community. I’m impressed with the accomplishments of GGC and believe that my experience and leadership would enable the institution to reach new heights.”

The Board of Regents will vote on Joseph at an upcoming meeting, officials said.

Here are five things to know about Joseph:

  • She's been interim chancellor for nearly a year. During her tenure as interim chancellor, the university started a free bus system for students on campus and a healthcare clinic for the public, the South Bend Tribune reported.
  • Joseph became executive vice chancellor at Indiana University South Bend in 2014. Her duties included budget planning and developing a long-term campus operations plan.
  • She was dean of Eastern Michigan University's College of Education, an associate dean at Grand Valley State University in Michigan.
  • She holds a doctoral degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of Wisconsin-Madison; a master's degree in plant science and bachelor's degree in agriculture from the University of the West Indies at St. Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago.
  • Joseph has three children and four grandchildren.