PRESIDENT SEARCH SHOULD BE AS OPEN AS POSSIBLE

Southeast Missouri State University's search for a new president should be conducted as openly as possible by its Board of Regents.

The university's operations are an integral part of the Cape Girardeau community and the surrounding region. What happens on campus affects us all.

The board should make public the names of finalists as was done when Dr. Kala Stroup was hired as president in 1990.

She is leaving at the end of August to take the job of Missouri's commissioner of higher education.

The regents also should consider open meetings on campus with each finalist as was done in the search five years ago. Everyone from faculty to the general public had a chance to see the finalists and ask them questions. By the time the decision was reached, most everyone felt good about both the choice and direction.

The task of hiring the school's 15th president is a challenging one and it falls largely on an inexperienced board. Only Donald Harrison, board president, was a regent when Stroup was hired in 1990.

Not surprisingly the board decided Monday that it should first seek the advice of a consulting firm. The regents believe that could save them time in starting the search. To their credit, they don't want a long and drawn-out process.

The board also plans to set up a search committee as was done six years ago. In doing so, the board should include all segments of the campus on the committee, including students and faculty. Area residents also should serve on the committee.

On Monday, the regents began the search process with a closed-door meeting that may have violated the state's Open Meetings Law. To their credit, the regents subsequently talked about their initial discussions.

The alleged violation itself isn't the issue. What is important is that the regents keep the public informed about each stage of the search.

In doing so, the regents will go a long way in assuring continued public trust.