4/6/01

Bob Lowry

AU TRUSTEES ADOPT PLAN FOR PRESIDENTIAL SEARCH PANEL

AUBURN -- The Auburn University Board of Trustees on Friday establish a 16-member search committee to recommend a replacement for former AU President William V. Muse.

The proposal was presented to the board during its meeting at AU at Montgomery by Trustee Jack Miller of Mobile, who will head the search committee.

The composition of the search committee will include:

** Three members of the Board of Trustees.

** Four members of the faculty three from AU and one from AU at Montgomery.

** Three representatives of the alumni two from AU and one from AUM.

** Two student representatives from AU (with one vote) and one student with one vote from AUM.

** One representative from the senior administration/deans.

** One representative from the Administrative & Professional Assembly.

** One representative from the Staff Council.

The trustees also outside other procedures for the presidential search. They included:

** Consultation to begin immediately with university stakeholder groups.

** Faculty representatives to be elected by the Rules Committee of the University Senate.

** Two remaining trustees to be appointed by President Pro Tem W.J. Samford Jr.

** At the first meeting of the search committee, members will be required to sign a pledge of confidentiality. Violations of the pledge will result in removal from the committee

** Search committee will select an experienced and nationally known search firm to serve in an advisory role.

** The firm will meet with the full faculty membership to discuss how it will advise he search committee and gather input from the faculty.

** All statements (e.g., the charge and leadership statement) will be approved by the search committee.

** A web site will be established to keep university stakeholders informed about the search process.

** All candidates on the short list will be invited (but not required) to participate in an open forum with faculty members.

** No president can be hired by the Board of Trustees unless he or she goes through the presidential search process and is one of the candidates recommended by the search committee. If no candidate is selected, the process will be anew.

** Proxy voting will not be allowed.

The Board of Trustees did not set a timetable for the appointment of the search committee or the selection of a new president.

apr01:AU-search