SEMO SEARCH: PROVOST HUNT IS NOW IN HANDS OF THE PRESIDENT

The search for a new provost at Southeast Missouri State University is now in the hands of the institution's president, Kala Stroup.

Southeast's 13-member search committee late Monday afternoon presented Stroup with a list of strengths and weaknesses of the six finalists for the job.

The candidates are:

Richard F. Whitman, dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communication at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va.

James E. Bundschuh, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at St. Louis University.

Rodolfo Arevalo, associate vice president for academic affairs and dean of graduate studies and research at California State University.

John P. Idoux, executive vice president for academic and student affairs at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas.

Miriam J. Shillingsburg, associate vice president for academic affairs at Mississippi State University.

Charles E. Kupchella, dean of Ogden College of Science, Technology and Health at Western Kentucky University at Bowling Green, Ky.

The six candidates for the job had all been interviewed on campus over a three-week period, beginning in mid-October and ending last Thursday. While on campus, each candidate met with faculty, administrators, staff, students and community leaders.

"She (Stroup) is now considering the list of strengths and weaknesses and the statements that have been submitted in writing from across the campus," said Art Wallhausen, assistant to the president at Southeast.

Wallhausen said that Stroup hopes to make a decision soon, but no definitive deadline has been set.

"While these people expressed an interest by coming here for interviews, when it comes down to job offers, there are always potential sticking points in negotiations," he said.

"I don't think she wants to give it a deadline at this point," added Wallhausen. It is all on her at this point to do the negotiating with the candidates or the candidate."

In addition, Wallhausen said the candidate or candidates being considered may want to visit the campus again with their spouses.

"These are not interviews," he explained. "These are more informational and a chance to negotiate and talk about contract terms and so forth, and frankly to see if you can sell the spouse (on the school)," Wallhausen said.

It's not uncommon, he said, for both husband and wife to have careers in higher education, which makes a move more difficult.

While no deadline has been set for making a decision on a new provost, Wallhausen said university officials are hoping to have a permanent provost on board by early in the spring semester.

He said the position of provost is the "second ranking position on the campus" after that of university president.

Southeast is seeking to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of Leslie Cochran this summer. Cochran resigned to take a position as president of Youngstown State University in Ohio.

Sheila Caskey, dean of the School of Graduate Studies and Extended Learning, is serving as interim provost.

Wallhausen said the six candidates were chosen by Stroup in early October from a list of 11 names submitted by the search committee.

In all, the committee considered more than 100 applications for the job.

"I think the search committee was generally very positive about the applicants and I think that's the feeling that was shared by the campus," said Wallhausen.

"It really is a collegial process," he insisted. "You take very seriously what the reaction of the campus is to these people."

Lenore Bierbaum, dean of the College of Education, headed the search committee.

She said the committee met for about two hours Monday afternoon, reviewing written comments received from people on campus and summarizing its view of the strengths and weaknesses of the six candidates.

"We had written feedback from many, many people around the campus," said Bierbaum.

In fact, she said, she was pleasantly surprised by the number of written comments received about the candidates.

"We wanted to know what everybody thought. After we read all of this, then we discussed each candidate," she said.

Bierbaum said the committee did not rank the six candidates. The faculty handbook prohibits such ranking of provost candidates, she explained.

Bierbaum said committee members felt the field of finalists was a strong one. "We had strong applicants. We felt like we had quality people," she said. "They all came on campus as strong candidates."