During its March 2 midyear retreat, the Missouri State University Board of Governors voted to move forward in selecting a permanent leader for the school.
A nationwide search for the school's 11th president is slated to begin in the next 45 days and conclude with a selection by Dec. 15. Plans call for the selected president to begin in the first half of 2013, according to a March 8 news release.
“We will advertise broadly and encourage candidates from across the country to apply,” MSU Board of Governors Chairman Gordon Elliott said in the release. “Given the attractiveness of Missouri State University, our expectation is that we will have a large, strong and diverse pool of applicants from which to choose.”
The position was left vacant by the
sudden resignation of James Cofer last summer. MSU general counsel Clif Smart picked up the reins and has served in the interim ever since. In the release, Smart indicted he would be a candidate.
“When I accepted the position, it was not clear to me that it would be a good fit long term,” Smart said in the release. “During the past eight months, I have found the position to be important, meaningful and all-consuming.
"As a result, it also has been very rewarding. It would be a great honor to lead the university and represent the faculty, staff and students who are Missouri State University.”
Identifying individuals for a 20-member search committee already has begun, and the process will be finalized by mid-April, the release said. The board will comprise six faculty members, one each from the six academic colleges; two student members; one academic administrator; two staff members; one West Plains representative; five representatives from constituent groups outside the university such as alumni, business community, donors and community leaders; three members of the board of governors; and ex-officio member Wes Pratt, the equal opportunity officer for MSU, who will serve as a nonvoting member.
In selecting Cofer as president in May 2010, the board of governors utilized search consulting firm R. William Funk & Associates to aid the school's 15-member search committee, according to
Springfield Business Journal archives.
This cycle, the board voted not to use an outside firm for the search, according to the release.
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