FAU extends interim president’s contract with $100,000 bonus, 5% raise. Search goes on

Florida Atlantic University's interim president was expected to hold the title for just a matter of months when she took office in January 2023.

Nearly two years later, Stacy Volnick not only is still at the university's helm — her contract has just been extended for a second time, as the school's politically contentious search for a permanent president drags on.

FAU's board of trustees agreed Monday, Sept. 30, to extend Volnick's presidential appointment until either the end of 2025 or whenever a permanent president is appointed, whichever comes first.

The move comes as the Boca Raton university revs up its second search for a new leader, more than a year after state education officials halted the first one in what critics called a case of political meddling.

Stacy Volnick gets the highest possible rating as interim FAU president

Volnick's contract extension came with a pay raise, a glowing evaluation and a $100,000 bonus. University trustees rated Volnick's performance as "exceptional," the highest possible rating.

"I have been extremely impressed by your enthusiasm, energy, and knowledge of the mission, values, and history of this institution," Trustees Chairman Piero Bussani wrote in his evaluation, "and there is no question in my mind that Florida Atlantic is in a position of strength due to the singular focus you have brought to serving in this role."

Volnick's new contract raises her annual salary 5%, to $551,250 from $525,000. Trustees also agreed to give her a $100,000 bonus, worth 19% of her current salary.

State university rules say that bonuses for university employees "shall not exceed 15% of an employee's annual salary" but include a loophole that allows higher bonuses if "additional written justification" is provided.

Piero argued the bonus was "more than warranted" due to Volnick's "extraordinary performance."

Volnick still COO, head of admin affairs in addition to being FAU president

He pointed out that in addition to serving as interim president, she is continuing to carry out the duties of her previous roles as chief operating officer and vice president for administrative affairs, which he called "a unique and herculean task for one person."

In a self-evaluation, Volnick said that the school's enrollment and retention rates are rising, as is the school's score on prominent college-ranking websites, and that she is overseeing plans to expand student housing options.

"Florida Atlantic University is not the university it was a decade ago and it is not the university it was two years ago," she wrote. "I will continue focusing each day on the daily operations, the academic, student success, fundraising, and research aspirations so we continue with intention on our upward trajectory."

The normally straightforward presidential search process was upended at FAU last year once state Rep. Randy Fine, a conservative lawmaker from Brevard County, emerged as a potential contender for the role.

He received verbal support from Gov. Ron DeSantis, but he was not among the names when FAU's search committee revealed a list of finalists last July.

Just days later, leaders of the state university system halted the process, citing concerns about whether the search committee had complied with government-transparency rules.

After months of delay, the university system's inspector general concluded that the search committee's decision to use an anonymous ballot to rank candidates informally violated state open-government rules.

Florida's Board of Governors decided the search needed to be redone, but the process remained paused for several more months as the university system updated its rules and procedures for presidential searches.

A new search committee convened in July and is in the process of developing hiring criteria for the position and a marketing plan for publicizing it.

A timeline developed by the committee estimates that, if all goes according to plan, a new president could be selected by March.

Andrew Marra is a reporter at The Palm Beach Post. Reach him at .