Faculty Senate Honors President Saunders with Resolution

President Martha Saunders received a resolution from the University of Southern Mississippi Faculty Senate honoring her service to the university during its meeting on the Hattiesburg campus Friday.

Saunders, who announced her resignation April 27, will continue as president through June 30. She will return to the classroom as a member of the faculty at Southern Miss Gulf Coast this fall.

In making the presentation of the resolution to Saunders, Faculty Senate President Tim Rehner expressed his disappointment that she would soon be leaving her post as president. “What she's done to move us forward is remarkable, and she deserves much credit,” he said. “We look forward to having her become a part of the faculty governance of the university.”

An alumna of the university, Saunders earned her undergraduate degree from Southern Miss and a master's degree and doctorate from the University of Georgia and Florida State University, respectively. She became the first female president of the institution in May 2007.