Westminster College is hoping to name a new president in the next couple weeks. Presidential Advisory Search Committee Chair Hal Oakley, vice chair of the board of trustees, said the committee is in the process of making a decision between three candidates. Oakley said he thinks members of the Westminster and Fulton community would agree that each of the candidates would make a great president.
"We (the committee) are very pleased that we have had the opportunity to meet and get to know some exceptional candidates and I'd be pleased to have any one of them be president of Westminster College," Oakley said. "We have a tough decision to make to finalize that."
While the college could not release the names of the three candidates, Oakley told the Fulton Sun the three candidates have varying levels of higher education experience Furthermore, he described them as "three fairly different candidates." He added that each have the qualities the college is are looking for in its next president.
According to the search committee's website and leadership profile for the position, the college's list of qualities and qualifications in part highlights:
•Be a person of character, honesty, and impeccable integrity in order to earn the trust and respect of the campus-wide community, and to serve effectively in support of its mission, vision, and strategic objectives;
•Have passion for higher education, especially the liberal arts tradition, whether as a traditional or non-traditional candidate;
•Preferably have experience with and an appreciation for Greek life, NCAA Division III athletics, and an honor system; and
•Possess proven business and fiscal management skills and experience with demonstrated success in execution of plan and goals.
" All these (three) candidates meet those qualities and qualifications, just to different degrees," Oakley said. "They all have an exceptional passion for the type of education that is delivered at Westminster."
The college's president should "embody and advocate" the school's values and mission, the leadership profile states. It further states, "Westminster's President must possess a clear and open communication style, a community orientation, a supportive nature, and the ability to listen well and to consult widely."
The search committee held town hall meetings and sent out surveys to community members in order to compile the list of qualities and qualifications, which it has used to measure candidates.
The college received about 70 applications and nominations for the president position. From those applicants, the committee selected 11 and held its first round of interviews St. Louis. From those 11, the committee then selected three candidates and held a second round of interviews.
The second round of semi-private interviews, Oakley said, were conducted both on Westminster's campus and in Columbia. During that round of interviewing, Oakley said members from the college and the community met with the candidates.
The college's Board of Trustees will meet in mid-May. Oakley said he is hoping to make an announcement regarding the college's new president by then, if not sooner.
Current College President Barney Forsythe is retiring at the end of this school year after a decade at the college. He and his wife are moving to South Carolina this summer.
Forsythe announced his decision to retire at the end of last school year, to give the school ample time for its search. In June, the college's board of trustees formed a Presidential Advisory Search Committee to lead the search, providing advice to the board throughout the hiring process.
In November, the search committee hired Witt/Kieffer, a recruitment firm, to aid in the presidential search. Oakley said Witt/Kieffer's search consultant has provided support and guidance to the search committee.
"I think they've been an excellent partner in this process," Oakley said. "We've been very pleased and think it was an excellent investment of time and resources."
Oakley said Forsythe will serve as president through the college's fiscal year, which ends June 30.
"Barney has generously offered to spend as much time and do whatever he can to assist in the transition," Oakley said. "They will have a good hand-off."