As Western Kentucky University President Gary Ransdell prepares to retire next year, the hunt for his replacement remains on schedule.
The presidential search committee met today in closed session. Some faculty and staff have raised concerns about the transparency of the process. They want to know who the finalists are and be allowed to comment on the final choice. Search Committee Chairman Phillip Bale says it’s important for the names of candidates to remain confidential.
"That being said, if we have three or four finalists that want to come to campus and it doesn't injure their career or the institutions where they may be at now, we're fine with that too, but at this point we simply don't know," Bale told WKU Public Radio.
Dr. Bale says the search has yielded “an outstanding pool of applicants.” About 40 people have applied or been nominated for the position.
Candidate interviews will start next month. The university’s 10th president will be named by March 1.