The search begins as the SIU Board of Trustees puts in place measures to aid in picking the new university president.

The Board of Trustees’ Executive Board approved a partnership with R. William Funk and Associates Wednesday. The firm specializes in consulting and searches for higher education institutions, according to their website, and has assisted with searches for a president or chancellor at institutions such as Bradley University, Indiana State, and Purdue University in the last several years.

In addition to R. William Funk and Associates, 20 people were chosen to serve on the Presidential Search Advisory Committee who will assist in the search. The group is made up of faculty, staff, students and community members from both Carbondale and Edwardsville campuses. Trustee Donna Manering is the committee chair and Trustee Shirley Portwood will serve as the Board’s liaison.

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President Glenn Poshard said although he can have no role in deciding the new president, he is there to help advise or consult with the chairman when need be.

Poshard said everything is going well with the search thus far.

“The governing board is organizing the search very well,” Poshard said. “They chose constituencies on both campuses which is how it is supposed to go.”

Usually, Poshard said a search like this takes a year, which he said would not be the case with SIU’s new president.

“They are predicting a new president will be chosen by early spring which is pretty impressive,” Poshard said.

A survey concerning the presidential search was sent to students, faculty and staff via email, asking questions regarding qualifications of a new president, what challenges and opportunities SIU will face in the future and what recommendations should be paid attention to in selecting a new president.

The deadline to complete the survey is Oct. 11 and only allows faculty, staff, and students above the age of 18 to participate.

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The Board of Trustees and Applied Research Consultants, an organization composed of graduate students and faculty members housed within the Psychology Department, are conducting the research survey.