The search for SIUC’s next chancellor is coming to a close as the field of 43 applicants has been narrowed to 11 semi-finalist candidates with diverse backgrounds.

We are going to be meeting with them in the next week or two, Steve Scheiner, chairman of the chancellor search committee, said. We’ll be asking them just what you would expect, What would you do if you were chancellor, what you have done in your past career,’ and that sort of stuff.

The semi-finalists’ identities remain shrouded in mystery, as per the chancellor search guidelines, but Scheiner said the confidentiality likely will cease on Dec. 17, when the committee will narrow the semi-finalists to a minimum of four finalists.

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The semi-finalists are coming here but only in the broad sense because we are still maintaining confidentiality. So we’ll meet in some secret place, he said. But as soon as we arrive at a group of finalists, everything becomes public about those finalists and the secrecy ends.

Scheiner said that once the finalists are selected they will be subjected to numerous open forums and meetings with faculty, students and administrators.

Those people (the finalists) will then be invited to campus, and will start arriving around the start of spring semester with all the publicity and hoopla and whatever kind of media focus you guys want, he said.

Scheiner said that of the 11 semi-finalists, three are women. He did not know the ethnic backgrounds of the candidates. Although many of the candidates are vice presidents at other schools, Scheiner said their geographic locations, positions and educational backgrounds vary. He would not comment if there are any internal candidates.

They all have experience, and they all have some reason for us to think they could do a good job at SIU, he said. They all have a good blend of the characteristics that are within the position description.

The committee chose the 11 semi-finalists from a pool of 20 applicants in mid-November. Previously they narrowed the 43 applications to 20 candidates.

SIU President Ted Sanders ultimately will choose the next chancellor with University input. Sanders has expressed interest in presenting the new chancellor to the SIU Board of Trustees in February.

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The search committee commenced in July with an eye toward replacing Donald Beggs, the acting chancellor until July 1.

Beggs said he remains uncertain of what he will do after July 1, but said that he is focusing on positions outside of the University.

As he is a tenured faculty member, Beggs said he could return to teaching. He said, however, that he is looking externally and that he is not limiting his options.