Olivier Charles will become president at Bishop State Community College, making him the fourth person in the role over the past seven years, effective Aug. 1. This appointment comes amid criticisms about the high turnover rate of leaders at the school, AL.com reported.
Olivier Charles
“This is my dream job,” Charles said. “We are a proud historically Black community college, and we will always be. I am committed to making Bishop State not just the best HBCU in Alabama but the best community college in Alabama, period.”
In the past, Charles has served as vice chancellor for student success and dean of students at Enterprise State Community College; director of admissions and enrollment management at the University of West Alabama; and director of admissions and recruitment at Auburn University at Montgomery.
The appointment comes slightly more than one month after a group of state Democratic lawmakers held objected to what they said was a revolving door of presidents at the lone community college in Mobile. The appointment also comes a day after the Mobile City Council adopted a resolution Tuesday requesting more transparency in the retention and dismissal process of the school’s president.
“We have almost a yo-yo system going on at Bishop State where we keep changing president after president,” said Council President C.J. Small. “The only thing we want is stability. Mobile is not a yo-yo.”
Charles holds both a Bachelor of Science in Special Education and a Master of Science in College Student Development from the University of West Alabama.
