Presidential-search deadline extended

The UW Board of Regents named Korn/Ferry International this week to locate candidates to fill the vacant UW presidency. The board also extended the presidential-search committee's deadline for the recommendation of candidates from April to June, giving the committee and Korn/Ferry two extra months to name candidates.

Though the contract has not yet been finalized, it is reported that the company has offered to serve as the executive search consultant for roughly $90,000.

There will also be several public forums to discuss what the UW community expects in a president, as well as the current challenges facing the University. The community is also encouraged to present nominations to the search committee.

The first public forum will be Feb. 24., and the faculty senate will hold its own public forum March 10. The regents will sponsor a panel discussion Feb. 20 and March 20 between university presidents, current and retired. More details on the forums will be available within the next week.

Nominations, recommendations and applications will be kept confidential throughout the search process.

Korn/Ferry has hired the presidents of dozens of U.S. research institutions, including the University of Louisville and Southern Arkansas University. The company is also responsible for placing the executive dean of Georgetown University's School of Medicine, as well as the dean of the College of Health and Human Services at California State University at Los Angeles. Korn/Ferry recruited Donna Shalala, former U.S. secretary of Health and Human Services, for the University of Miami in 2000.