A 12 member committee comprised of VSU administration, faculty, and officials have begun a national search to replace former VSU President Patrick Schloss, who stepped down in late June.

The newly formed Presidential Search and Screen Committee will meet this afternoon in the Executive Dining Room at the UC with the purpose of beginning the task of finding suitable presidential candidates.

“The purpose of the meeting is to ‘charge’ the committee,” said Dr. Phyllis G. Holland, Department Head and Professor of Management, and head of the on campus search committee for the next VSU President.

Dr. Louis H. Levy was named as president interim during this summer, following Schloss’s resignation after an agreement with the university system to serve six to-12 months during a search for a permanent one.

“The search for the new president should last somewhere between three and six months,” said SGA president Graham Davis, a junior political science major.

Davis is looking forward to a productive meeting.

“I believe that this meeting will be largely informational, and the committee will aim to set a date to officially begin this search proces,” said Davis.

The meeting will be a “charge”, according to Dr. Holland.

“Once we have been charged, we will organize our part of the search including create a time line for accomplishing the major tasks”, Dr. Holland said.

The meeting will consist of the members of the Search and Selection Committee,a representative from the Executive Search firm, and Regent Donald Leebern and University System of Georgia Executive Vice Chancellor for Administration Steve Wrigley who plan to create a cooperative outline on the responsibilities and duties for the search.

“The biggest part of the meeting will be scheduling the beginning of the search,” Davis said.

“We’ve been advised to bring our calendars.”

The duties of the Presidential Search and Screen Committee includes a position description,announcements in national media, and conduct on campus interviews for the search.

Davis is reassured that the meeting will be a productive one.

“ I’m sure that after this meeting the requirements will be much more clear to everyone, “ Davis said.

After the search, the committee will forward the credentials of three to five unranked candidates to a Special Regents’ Search Committee which includes Regent Leebern and Rusty Griffin, marking the start of the second phase.

This committee is responsible for advocating finalists to Chancellor Huckaby, who makes a recommendation to the Board of Regents.