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Since Millersville University’s founding in 1855, there have been a total of 14 presidents, including the current president, Dr. John Anderson. When he announced his resignation, effective March 1, 2018, a Presidential Search Committee was formed. Students, faculty and staff have been invited to a variety of sessions to give their input on who the 15th president should be.
With 25 applications already submitted from around the United States and an estimated 25-35 more to come in by the deadline of Dec. 1, the Presidential Search Committee, led by Council of Trustee member Ann Womble, is eager to begin the review process. After the initial review period, an assessment will be conducted by the committee on Dec. 5 to decide which applicants will be advancing to the second round of interviews. “These interviews will take place on Jan. 7 and 8 at the Philadelphia airport,” said Womble. Applicants will have one hour and fifteen minutes to answer up to 15 questions that will be determined by the search committee prior to the interview.
Applicants will then be whittled down to four to six finalists and will be invited to the campus for a two and a half day visit packed with meetings as well as an open forum. The open forum in particular will allow candidates to answer questions during Common Hour in the Student Memorial Center (SMC). Following the forum, each candidate will mingle with students and staff in the atrium. Womble’s vision for this part of the process is to allow the applicant to really get a feel for the student body at Millersville, and vice versa.
“We heard loud and clear during our (preliminary) campus forums that people want the next leader to continue to build upon our recent successes in the areas of academic excellence and financial accountability. We also want to bring in someone with a bold vision of how to grow and adapt this University in the challenging environment of higher education in Pennsylvania,” said Womble.
From there, the last few rounds will be put in the hands of the Council of Trustees, the Board of Governors, and ultimately the Chancellor who will approve the final candidate. The new president will likely be announced in mid-to-late April.
For more information, visit: http://www.millersville.edu/presidential-search/
