STATE

Attorney General Sam Olens to leave office, lead Kennesaw State University

The Associated Press
AP file photo of Sam Olens

ATLANTA | Georgia's Attorney General Sam Olens has been chosen as the next president of Kennesaw State University.

Members of the University System of Georgia's governing board on Wednesday voted to hire Olens at a meeting in Atlanta. He will begin on Nov. 1.

Students and faculty at the school have objected to Olens' taking the helm, upset that a national search wasn't conducted for the next leader of Georgia's third largest university. A group of students protested during the morning session of the Board of Regents, briefly interrupting the meeting.

Olens, a Republican, was elected in 2010 and easily won re-election in 2014. Under Georgia's Constitution, Gov. Nathan Deal will appoint a replacement to complete the term.