A little more than two months after his death, Harvey Robbins’ seat on the UNA Board of Trustees remains vacant; however, officials at the governor’s office in Montgomery and at the university are working to fill the seat quickly.

Alabama Governor Robert Bentley and his office in Montgomery, according to Alabama law, appoint board members. The nomination is given final approval by the Alabama legislature, according to Alabama law.

Officials in Montgomery opened the formal process of applying for a trustee position in February and cannot determine an exact timeline as to when the position will be filled, officials in Bentley’s office said.

“We take self- and community-led nominations, but there is no time limit on the governor’s appointments,” said Bentley Press Secretary Jennifer Ardis.

Applicants can be self- or community-nominated and are encouraged to apply online through the governor’s office, Ardis said.

Candidates for the position are currently being considered by the governor’s office, but an exact number could not be released at present.

“There have been some applicants, but we cannot release names at this time,” Ardis said.

The process has been ongoing since Robbins’ death Jan. 30. Robbins was a member of the board for approximately 9 years starting in February of 2004. He regularly donated to the university and the Shoals area, officials said.

Shortly before his death, Robbins donated $1 million toward an endowed scholarship for students who graduated from Deshler High School in Tuscumbia. Robbins was a graduate of the high school.

The Board of Trustees recently approved funding for the construction of a new workout facility for university athletes March 11 in addition to initiating a proposal to begin construction on new student housing.

Although the trustees work to promote and aid the university in its development, university officials are not asked to request or endorse potential applicants to the governor’s office, officials said.

“This is something that the governor’s office does,” said UNA President Bill Cale. “We are not invited to recommend or invite campus feedback.”

Cale does not believe the vacant seat will have any effect on future plans the university has.

Currently, the UNA Board of Trustees has eight official members. The board has trustees from areas around the state including the Shoals, Montgomery and Huntsville. The replacement trustee will fill the ninth and final seat on the board.

Stay with The Flor-Ala as this story develops.