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David McRaney | Journalist
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Search advisory committee meets The stage is set and the actors are present, but after the first meeting of the major players in this production, most seem confident little drama will be involved.The 25 members of the USM Presidential Search Advisory Committee were announced via press release Monday. Early Tuesday, the motley crew convened in the Thad Cochran Center for a laid-back orientation session where the group got to know each other and better understand the task at hand. "The Southern Miss Search Advisory Committee has the tremendous responsibility of assisting the Board of Trustees with their choice of the next president of The University of Southern Mississippi," said Commissioner of Higher Education Dr. Thomas C. Meredith in the release. "I am confident this group of individuals is committed to this very important task." The committee - which includes faculty, staff, students, alumni and administrators - met with search consultant Jan Greenwood and Meredith to discuss the search process and their substantial role in it. "The committee is from every constituency involved with the university," said College of Health Dean Peter Fos who is chairing the Search Advisory Committee and has been designated the main contact for press. "The orientation went very well. We were told what we can and can't do." Fos added he and the others in the committee signed an extensive confidentiality agreement at the meeting, but he found it to be reasonable. "One of my roles is to help keep the process transparent; we will keep people informed on what is going on," said Fos. Much of the meeting seemed to focus on an attempt by Meredith and Greenwood to build trust and cohesion among the group. Each member stood and spoke briefly about their first memory of USM, then added a date and a drawing representing the memory along a timeline posted to one of the room's walls. Also, the meeting served to answer long-running questions many faculty members have been asking since the beginning of the process. "The assumption is between 50 or 60 people will apply," said Fos. "Sometime in late January, my group will be tasked to go through the resumes in preparation for a Feb. 2 meeting. Then, we will cut that number down to sat at least five." Fos said there will be no limit on the number of candidates settled on in February. But, once selected, the list will be submitted to the College Board for approval. Then, interviews will begin. "Some members of the committee, who have not been determined yet, will participate with the board search committee in interviews," added Fos. "From there, the board will select one preferred candidate who will come to campus and tour and meet constituencies, then the board will either select that person based on feedback or continue the search." Fos said the board is developing a profile for the next president, based on information gleaned from listening sessions. From that information Greenwood will develop an advertisement to appear in appropriate venues. If all goes as planned, a new president will be chosen before April 1. "It cleared a lot of things up about what was expected," said Student Government Association President Gene Gouaux. "We went over a code of ethics, things we can and can't do. It was interesting, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, but our work really hasn't begun yet." Fos shared in that sentiment. "I'm satisfied - relative to what we had heard early on. Now we have the biggest role. We cut the number down. I feel really good about that.' Originally published in The Student Printz on November 16, 2007
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