By Brandon Addeo | The Duquesne Duke
The Duquesne presidential search process has reached the “semi-finalist” stage, according to Chairwoman of the Duquesne Board of Directors Marie Milie Jones.
According to Jones, the 11-member search committee has “vetted all the applications” and narrowed the pool of candidates. The next step is conducting individual interviews with the remaining candidates.
Citing confidentiality agreements, Jones declined to say how many semi-finalists candidates are being considered, but she did say that the committee was “pleased with the number of candidates and the depth of the candidates themselves.”
The search committee consists of board members, alumni and faculty. According to Jones, she is scheduling meetings with faculty members and students, such as Student Government Association President John Foster, to receive more input from those two groups about what qualities they want in the next president.
“Those are probably the two groups I don’t see as often,” Jones said, “so I want to make sure they’re heard.”
Last spring, SGA members and other campus organizations had the chance to meet with representatives of AGB Search, the consultant firm helping in the presidential search.
Foster said that while this was the only student representation in the selection process thus far, student organizations might have a chance to meet the presidential finalists.
“After a conversation with Chairwoman of the Board Marie Millie Jones, it is anticipated that student representatives will have an opportunity to meet with the finalists and provide further input at that stage,” Foster said.
Jones said students and faculty have similar desires when it comes to picking a president.
“They certainly want a president who can communicate well with all the constituent groups,” Jones said. “Duquesne has come a long way and excelled under our current president. We want that to continue.”
Giselle Auger, a professor of public relations at Duquesne, said she likes the way the university is handling the search process.
“The university has been very good about keeping [faculty] updated on where the search stands,” Auger said.
Auger said that Duquesne has been “open to feedback” from the faculty, and that there were opportunities to comment and give opinions on the search process.
Auger also said some faculty members told university administrators there was not enough faculty representation on the committee. The two faculty members on the committee are School of Nursing Dean Mary Ellen Glasgow and Faculty Senate President Diane Williams.
