University trustees brought foundations of a plan to find a new university system president to their meeting Thursday.

Chairman Randal Thomas said he and fellow trustees Donna Manering and Don Lowery have met on several occasions to discuss the search. During Thursday’s meeting, the executive committee recommended the board hire a search firm and create an advisory committee, which will be comprised of constituency groups across campus. Students, faculty, union representatives and alumni will all be included on the committee, he said.

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“We have established a timeline, which will direct this seven-to-eight month search,” Thomas said.

No budget has been set for the search yet, he said. However, SIU has been in contact with universities across the state, as well as the University of Missouri—which is now undergoing a chancellor search—to determine the best course of action.

“Some of these firms, for instance the firm that the University of Missouri has just been successfully using, is not on the Illinois Preferred list,” Thomas said. “In order to go to another firm that’s not already on this list, it would take another six months or so to go through a bid process, and we don’t have that time in seeking to replace the president.”

President Glenn Poshard, who is retiring June 30 after a total of eight years of service to the university as president, said his role in the search is purely advisory.

“My only role is to advise or consult with the chairman when he needs that,” he said.