St. Aug's board pushes president out

The St. Augustine’s University Board of Trustees asked President Everett Ward to step down Thursday, four months ahead of his planned retirement.

The announcement came just three days after the university named Gaddis Faulcon as interim president. In a written statement, university officials said Faulcon's appointment coincided with the beginning of Ward's retirement, despite Ward's intentions to remain in his position through July.

Faulcon previously served as vice president of enrollment management at St. Augustine's and served as interim president of Shaw University from 2014 to 2015.

Ward didn't return phone calls Friday.

Ward had served as the historically black university’s president since 2014.

Last year, he acknowledged that the school had faced years of financial and enrollment challenges, but it was taken off probation by its accreditation agency in December.

Officials attributed the turnaround to fundraising and the updating of outdated systems. According to the statement announcing Ward’s planned July 24 retirement, donor support increased from $1 million to $2.9 million during his presidency.