Provost and vice chancellor John Dunn is sticking with SIUC for the time being after Arkansas State University picked another administrator as the new leader of its flagship campus.

According to a news release late last week, Robert Potts, a 20-year veteran of higher education, is ASU’s first chancellor at Jonesboro and takes the post after an extensive national search that began in December 2005.

Dunn, SIUC’s second ranking official since 2002, and four other candidates were bypassed in favor of Potts. Dunn could not be reached for comment at his home Sunday.

ASU President Les Wyatt, who led the seven-campus system and dually served as the Jonesboro chancellor, made the announcement Thursday.

“When we contemplated this change last December, we hoped to be successful in finding someone with outstanding character and a proven record of performance. In Robert Potts, I believe we have found that individual,” Wyatt said in a press release.

Potts most recently served as chancellor of the North Dakota University system before resigning in August. He was president of the University of North Alabama in Florence, Ala., for 14 years and also taught at Boston University.

Earlier this year Dunn interviewed for the presidency of Kennesaw State University in Georgia but was not offered the position. He said other universities have contacted him about positions since then.

The provost’s office in the spring semester assumed enrollment management duties from the division of student affairs. Dunn is now responsible for coordinating SIUC’s enrollment effort, which has faced steadily declining numbers the past few years.

Dunn is also overseeing searches for deans for the College of Liberal Arts, College of Education and Human Services and College of Science.

Brandon Weisenberger can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 254 or [email protected].