By Tim Leeds
The commissioner of higher education and administrators of the Montana State University will be in Havre Thursday, June 29 to collect input on the search for a new chancellor for Montana State University-Northern.
Commissioner Richard Crofts; MSU-Bozeman Interim President Terry Roark; Rolf Groseth, executive assistant to the president; Dave Dooley, interim provost and vice president for academic affairs at MSU-Bozeman, and Tom Stump, vice president for administration and finance at MSU-Bozeman will be on the MSU-Northern campus from 9:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. meeting with faculty, administration and students from the university and with community members.
Crofts said they usually visit with the community like this whenever a senior position such as the chancellorship is open. He said there is no set agenda for the visit, just a chance for people to give input into the process. He said they want to know what the people in the community think, what qualities they think are important for the next chancellor.
Roark said it's just a day he, the commissioner and some colleagues from Bozeman will come up to listen to people and get some ideas about how they should fill the vacancy.s
He said they are very fortunate that Dr. Roger Barber, provost and senior vice chancellor, has reconsidered his retirement from that position and will remain while the search for a new chancellor, or at least interim chancellor, is conducted.
Barber had submitted his resignation from the administrative position to return to teaching before MSU-Northern Chancellor Mike Rao announced he would be leaving to take over as president of Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, Mich., on July 1. Roark said they appreciate Barber's staying on another year instead of leaving the position as planned.
"I know that's what he really wanted to do," Roark said. "It was very gracious of him to reconsider."
Crofts said Barber's staying has been a great help. He said they believe in taking their time and doing it right when conducting a search like this, and Barber's continuing as provost is allowing them to do so.
"We have great confidence in him," he said. "He will be in charge until other arrangements are made."
The group is scheduled to meet with senior administrators and deans and chairs of the university from 9:15-10:30 a.m. in Donaldson Commons. The people attending will include Rao, Barber, Associate Chancellor Carol Green, Dean of the College of Technical Sciences Darryll Thackeray, Dean of the College of Education Korinne Tande, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Stephen Sylvester and Dean of the College of Nursing Trish Goudie.
The group will have an open meeting with faculty at Donaldson Commons from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., and a working lunch with Barber at the small dining Room in the Student Union Building from 11:40 a.m. to 1 p.m.
There will be an open meeting with students at the Fireside Room in the SUB from 1 to 2 p.m. and an open meeting with university staff at Donaldson Commons from 2:10 to 3 p.m.
The group will hold an open meeting with community members at Donaldson Commons from 3 to 4 p.m., and depart Havre immediately following it.
