Vallas named a top administrator, not president, at Chicago State

Chicago State University named Paul Vallas its temporary chief administrative officer — not interim president — on Friday, despite Gov. Bruce Rauner for weeks pushing the former Chicago Public Schools CEO as the leading candidate for a crisis-management role at the South Side college.

The board selected Rachel Lindsey, the school’s former dean of the arts and sciences, as interim president.

The board’s decision followed weeks of controversy in which Rauner drew the ire of several black city leaders for promoting Vallas for a leadership position at the university. Others took exception to Vallas’ lack of college administrative experience and Rauner’s perceived interference with the selection process.

But former Illinois state Senate President Emil Jones, a Democrat, and Ald. Anthony Beale (9th) seemed to take Rauner’s side, saying Vallas was the ideal candidate for Chicago State president.

Read more: http://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/chicago-state-university-board-discussing-personnel-moves-now/