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The university has chosen the firm "Academic Search" to help find a suitable candidate to fill Provost Ann Ferren's position after she retires in June. President David Huwiler said he is hoping to bring in candidates to meet with students and faculty early in the Spring 2010 semester, and have somebody hired by the end of this academic year.

"Academic Search" specializes in finding senior executives for universities, to fill such positions as president, vice-president, and provost.   The firm will narrow the number of candidates based on their qualifications, go through the preliminary interviews, and do background and reference checks.

Apart from using the services of a firm in the search process, the university has started building a search committee within AUBG, whose chairperson will be economics professor Didar Erdinc, Huwiler said. SG will be asked to select a student representative for the committee. Once several candidates have been chosen by "Academic Search", they will be brought to campus to meet with students and faculty. "There will be open sessions for faculty, students, and staff to ask questions," Huwiler said, "then each group will give their impressions and recommendations to the committee."

The services that "Academic Search" is providing will cost $70,000. "This isn't a place to cut corners; this is a really critical position for the university," Huwiler said.

"We've had a certain kind of provost that the institution desperately needed - tough, highly experienced and dedicated," journalism professor Phelps Hawkins said. "However, after a tough time, you sort of need somebody with a softer touch to build spirit and hope in the institution, and that's what AUBG needs now," he added.

The search parameters that the university has given "Academic Search" include experience in academic administration, experience in long-range planning and accreditation processes, and talent for leading an administrative team. Preference will be given to candidates holding a PhD degree. Under the "personal qualities" section is listed "strong interpersonal skills appropriate for a multicultural environment."