An exciting chapter is unfolding at North Dakota State University (NDSU) as the search for a new president intensifies! With over 40 eager candidates expressing interest, the race is on to find the perfect leader for this esteemed institution. But here's where it gets controversial: the application window has officially closed, yet the search committee isn't ruling out late entries.
Jace Beehler, co-chair of the NDSU Presidential Search Committee, has set a deadline of 5 p.m. on February 16th for applicants to receive full consideration. However, he assures us that applications received after this date won't be ignored. "We'll certainly review them," Beehler says, "but our primary focus will be on those who applied by the deadline."
The committee is tasked with finding a successor to President David Cook, who has led NDSU with distinction for nearly four years. Cook is now taking the helm at Iowa State University, his alma mater and hometown, effective March 1st. In the interim, NDSU is being steered by President Rick Berg, who was appointed to this temporary role in late January.
At the time of the committee's last open meeting on February 11th, Beehler revealed that over 40 candidates had already applied, and the numbers have been steadily rising since. "We have many strong contenders," he says. "It's going to be a challenging process to sift through the diverse backgrounds and experiences of these individuals."
A survey released in December shed light on the attributes that alumni, staff, students, and faculty value in their next president. The top four qualities they seek are a student-centric approach, transparency and ethical leadership, a visionary outlook, and effective communication skills. The survey respondents also emphasized the importance of having a "visible" president on campus, a quality that David and Kate Cook were renowned for.
With an ambitious timeline in mind, each committee member will now select their top 10 candidates. On February 23rd, the committee will identify those who will be invited to the first round of interviews via Zoom in early March. "We're letting the pool of candidates guide us on how many we bring forward for the initial virtual interviews," Beehler explains. "We have the flexibility to adapt with a virtual format."
Semifinalist interviews will take place about a week later, with five to eight candidates participating in person, but not in Fargo. Three or more finalists will then visit the NDSU campus for day-long interviews during the week of March 23rd. From this group, the committee will recommend candidates to the State Board of Higher Education for interviews the week of March 30th, and a selection will be made, with the new NDSU president expected to assume office this summer.
So, what do you think? Is it fair to consider late applications? And how important is it for a university president to be "visible" on campus? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
