Murray State’s Presidential Search Committee plans to hire a search firm to find the university’s next president. The committee held its first meeting today. Murray State is looking for a president after its Board of Regents voted against extending a new contract to current president, Randy Dunn. Dunn’s contract expires in June 2014, but he is expected to leave in July to take the helm of Youngstown State University in Ohio.
MSU Foundation Director Tim Miller will act as an interim during the search for a permanent president.
Search Committee Chairman Steve Williams says the university will prepare a request for proposals to be sent to a long list of search firms. Williams says the committee will reconvene July 26th to select a firm. MSU Board of Regents Chairman Constantine Curris has counseled the committee against using AGB Searchfor which he serves as an independent contractor.
Murray State used the search firm Korn/Ferry International for their last presidential search in 2005.
Williams says the committee doesn’t have a budgeted amount to pay the search firm. He says this isn’t a situation where you’d necessarily want to hire the cheapest firm. Williams anticipates the selected firm to visit campus in September to meet with various university groups, including the Board of Regents, to craft a prospectus for an ideal candidate.
Williams expects the search firm to provide the committee a list of preferred candidates that the committee will then whittle down to semi-finalists for a preliminary interview. Finally, the committee will recommend between two and four unranked finalists to the board in March to make a final decision.
