Administrators continue to search for a vice chancellor of administration and finance, despite an initial deadline for earlier this month.

Chancellor Sam Goldman said the search committee responsible for naming someone to the new administrative position met Monday to look at applications.

According to the position announcement, the effective date of appointment was February 2009, but Goldman said he did not expect the position to be filled until at least March.

Gary Minish, chairman of the search committee, said Monday was the first meeting the committee had and the process has just begun.

‘It’ll easily take some time,’ Minish said. ‘We want to do it right and take our time.’

The revived position, last held by SIU President Glenn Poshard in 2003, abolishes the executive director of finance position, held by Kevin Bame, Goldman said.

Meanwhile, the executive director of administration, Cathy Hagler, would keep her existing duties, but would report to the vice chancellor instead of Goldman, he said.

Minish said a list of candidates for the position could not be released until the committee has made its recommendations, but Bame said he has applied for the position.

Goldman said Bame, who fulfills most of the position’s duties already, is among the position’s finalists.

Goldman said he is reinstating the position because the university has a number of projects that require a lot of attention and organization.

‘We have an $83 million project with Saluki Way: We have $100 million coming in working through renovation of buildings; we are putting together a brand new registration format,’ Goldman said. ‘We have so many things going over there that I need somebody who will be able to put a hand on that and take control.’

SIU President Glenn Poshard said Thursday during the SIU Board of Trustees meeting that all of the university’s open positions would be reviewd to determine if it should be filled.

Poshard said the state’s slumping economy would most likely force the university to layoff some of its staff. It would also force hiring freezes for positions that could afford it, he said.

‘We are facing the worst situation in the history of this state,’ Poshard said. ‘There can be no guarantees.’

Goldman said the position would pay in the neighborhood of $155,000.

Duane Stucky, senior vice president for financial and administrative affairs, said the change would not strongly affect how his office interacts with other financial

officers on campus.

‘Anytime responsibilities change, you change to accommodate whoever is responsible for what functions,’ Stucky said. ‘Basically, I see us continuing to work very closely with campus personnel on issues that need to come forward to the board.’