EVERETT — Those involved in finding a new Washington State University president will be at Everett Community College Tuesday to hear what students, faculty and locals want to see in the next leader.
Two public meetings are planned to gather input on what skills the next president should have, challenges they may face and means to measure their success.
WSU officials are hosting similar forums across the state before formally posting the job and launching the search for a successor to Elson Floyd, the hugely popular president who died of cancer in June.
Everett, which is home to WSU North Puget Sound, will be the sixth stop. The meetings are set for 7:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. in Gray Wolf Hall, Room 156.
Michael Worthy, a WSU regent and chairman of a 25-person search advisory committee, will direct the sessions.
“Our goal is to ensure this search is well informed and that the many segments of the WSU community — faculty, staff, students, alumni, friends and other stakeholders — have an opportunity to share their views on the characteristics of our next leader,” Worthy said in a statement issued when the forums were announced.
Larry Hanson of Everett, a former Herald publisher, and Hayley Statema, president of the Associated Students of Washington State University Everett, will join him. Both are advisory committee members.
“It is very much a listening process,” Hanson said. “Our committee will be taking notes on the qualities those in the community want to see in the next president. We’ll be looking for common threads.”
Floyd, 59, was the 10th president in the university’s history.
The WSU Board of Regents will consider advisory committee suggestions for the job posting that will eventually be issued. And the panel also will identify and recommend finalists to the regents. In addition, regents hired a national executive search firm.
Regents hope to appoint the next president by the end of spring semester 2016.
Hanson said holding a forum in Everett demonstrates WSU’s commitment to put a high priority on finding a person to serve as leader for all the campuses. In Everett it means fulfilling the dream Elson Floyd had for establishing the university’s presence in the community, he said.
“This is not Pullman-centric,” he said. “It is system wide.”
Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623; jcornfield@heraldnet.com.
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