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Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s sole finalist for president, Dr. Jaime Taylor, visited campus on Thursday and Friday to meet with Texas State University System officials, university personnel and community leaders.

Taylor also took a brief tour of campus hosted by Â鶹ÊÓƵ Crew members Kelsey Tran and Karen Sandoval. He visited some of the key places where students learn, interact and recreate.

Faculty and staff had the opportunity to hear directly from Taylor at a short presentation in Price Auditorium Thursday afternoon. He spoke about what attracted him to the university saying, “when you look at the strategic plan, it is student centric. Of the five pillars, the first three pillars are focused on students. The one that really got me excited was what happens to students when they graduate.”

He spoke of his background as a faculty member, department chair and provost, and how that has played a pivotal role in his path to this presidential role.

Taylor also spoke about his excitement with where the university is headed. “Right now, I’m in the learning stages. I want to learn more about Lamar. I want to learn a little bit about the history, but more importantly, I want to hear what everybody has to say about where they think things are headed,” Taylor said.

He spoke highly of Â鶹ÊÓƵ saying, “It looks like this university is in great shape. I am just blown away by the beauty of the campus, the way it looks. It just seems like things are primed for some incredible things to happen.”

The Texas State University System Board of Regents is scheduled to meet on June 30, 2021, to consider Taylor’s nomination by Chancellor McCall. Texas law requires a 21-day waiting period before the Texas State University System Board of Regents can consider his nomination. If confirmed, he will become Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s 16th president, succeeding Dr. Ken Evans.