President Marc Johnson delivers the State of the University Address on Sept. 26, 2018. NSHE came to the ASUN senate meeting to talk to students about their opinions on a national or trim search for president.
Board Chair Jason Geddes and Chancellor Dr.Thom Reilly of the Nevada System of Higher Education talked to the Associated Students of the University of Nevada on Wednesday, Nov. 13 regarding the process of finding the next president on .
Geddes and Reilly also spoke to classified staff, UNR’s Foundation Trustees, academic and administrative faculty and undergraduate and graduate students for a general open forum.
Geddes said there are two options the Nevada System of Higher Education can pursue to hire a new president for the university—a national search or an interim search.
Geddes also said they are trying to receive student input for their recommendation for the Board of Regents meeting Dec. 5-6 in Las Vegas.
In the national search option, an advisory committee will be created made up of five faculty members, three administrators, one undergraduate student, one graduate student, selected community members, one staff member, affiliates of the university and NSHE members. NSHE will also create a search committee. NSHE will then find anyone who they feel will fit in at the university.
Students will only know the final candidates’ names in spring 2020. Here, the candidates will come onto campus to talk to students about their thoughts on the university. Geddes described this process as a two-way interviewing process. Geddes said the campus climate survey results will be a good platform to ask the candidates questions. The university will also include the final candidates’ names, bio and resume on the UNR website. A survey will be given to campus so they may vote for the candidate they feel is best suited for the position. Geddes said there is a strong desire for a national search from students so far.
In the interim search option, Geddes confirmed anyone in NSHE can fill the position. He also said they can possibly promote a current university administrator to the position. The interim president will have the same authority as a president. Once the interim president is in, NSHE will decide if they want to make the interim president the permanent president or go forward with a national search.
NSHE came to campus in order to have these conversations after Marc Johnson announced his resignation Thursday, Oct. 31. NSHE’s goal is to have a new individual in the position by late spring 2020.
Taylor Johnson can be reached at tkjohnson@nevada.unr.edu or on Twitter @taylorkendyll.
