Last modified: Friday, December 13, 2002
Committee begins presidential search process
Members of the Indiana University Presidential Search Committee will cast a broad net in looking for candidates as they begin the process to find a replacement for IU President Myles Brand.
The 17-member committee met for the first time Dec. 11 to discuss the process and timeline for the search as well as to begin to identify criteria and qualifications it will seek to evaluate candidates. The committee met with Jerry Baker of Baker, Parker Associates of Atlanta, an executive search firm that will assist with the effort.
The group spent several hours discussing qualities it expects of a new president. Many of those qualities were mentioned repeatedly in a series of open forums conducted on IU campuses in recent weeks.
"We've heard from many people who have said that an ability to work with state leaders on higher education funding is an important part of the future," said Stephen L. Ferguson, vice president of the Board of Trustees and chairman of the search committee. "There's also a sense that the university is headed in the right direction as a leader in information technology, the life sciences and making a difference in the state's economy, as well as in continuing to build on the strengths of already excellent programs in the arts and humanities."
Search committee members also said they believe the next IU president should be an individual who can strike a balance between academic engagement and state involvement, continue collaborations among the eight campuses, improve the leverage of the entire university structure within the state, and serve as the public face of the university.
Ferguson reviewed the charge to the committee from Frederick F. Eichhorn, Jr., president of the board. The committee is responsible for conducting a national search and recommending to trustees a list of five to seven candidates in the spring.
Baker, Parker Associates will begin the search immediately by contacting potential candidates in addition to individuals nominated by members of the search committee or submitted by members of the university community or other sources. The committee also will be advertising the position and will receive applications from interested candidates.
The committee expects to begin a review of candidate resumes in early March, with the goal of identifying six to 10 candidates for interviews. After preliminary interviews, the committee expects to forward names of finalists to the board by mid-April. In his charge, Eichhorn urged the committee to continue its work until the right candidate is identified, even if that means extending this deadline.
Brand will depart IU on Dec. 31. IUPUI Chancellor Gerald Bepko will serve as interim president beginning Jan. 1.
