Elaine Hairston, search firm consultant for Eastern’s presidential search, began her two-day stint on campus Wednesday morning at the Presidential Search Advisory Committee.

Committee members met over breakfast in Blair Hall to meet Hairston for the first time and to share their ideas about what characteristics Eastern’s next president should have.

“We are embarking on an exciting and very important process,” Hairston said. “This is an opportunity for a university to think about its future.”

She asked the committee members what they thought would be some challenges and opportunities for a new president to help her compile a position profile. The committee will use the profile throughout the process to make sure Eastern finds a president that meets its needs and expectations.

“I see a lot of opportunities for our campus,” said English professor David Radavich, adding that Eastern has seen growth in international programs, the Honors College and general enrollment.

But he also sees challenges for the next president of Eastern.

“Our financial backing from the state has been awful the last three, four years,” Radavich said.

Police Chief Adam Due said parking will also be a problem for a new president, especially when the Doudna Fine Arts Center begins to attract crowds for performances.

Student President Sean Anderson said whoever takes over for President Hencken will have a lot to live up to as well.

“This university really considers Lou Hencken a good president and that’s tough shoes to fill,” Anderson said.

Committee Chair Robert Webb agreed.

“We have a president now that’s very strong in relationship building,” he said. “I think that’s very critical.”

Diane Hoadley, dean of the business college, added that the next president should also exemplify Hencken’s ability to work as a team.

“I would like that person to see that he or she is going to lead a team and not see this as an individual effort,” she said.

Also, a characteristic of Eastern that the committee said the new president would need to fit into is the sense of tradition at the university.

“Something that is a strong suit at this institution is that we really know who we are,” Hoadley said.

Faculty Senate Chair Assege Haile Mariam said that even though we have those strong traditions, the next president must be strong enough to still enforce change when it is needed.

“This is a very mature institution with a strong history of tradition,” Haile Mariam said, adding, however, that there are still areas that need improvement.

“We tend to be somewhat resistant to change,” said Jill Nilsen, vice president for external relations.

Eric Hiltner/The Daily Eastern News Elaine Hairston, of Academic Search Inc., explains to the members of student senate about the process of finding a new president for Eastern on Wednesday evening in the Arcola-Tuscola Room of the Martin Luther King Jr U

(more…)