by Lisa M. Chmiola
Managing Editor
Finalists in the search for the University of Houston-Clear Lake president are completing their final interviews, while the UH-Victoria presidential search committee continues to sift through applications it has received for the post.
The UH-CL search committee presented UH System Chancellor Arthur Smith with four finalists three weeks ago, Chairman Max Castillo said.
The finalists are George DePuy, provost and vice chancellor for academic and student affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Stout; Peggy Gordon Elliott, senior fellow at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities and former president of the University of Akron; Edgar Roulhac, vice provost for academic services at Johns Hopkins University; and William Staples, UH-CL president.
"It was quite an extensive process," Castillo said of the nationwide search.
In addition to sending in an application, candidates visited the Clear Lake area and met with faculty, staff and students before being selected as finalists, said Vice Chairman Bruce Palmer.
"It was a question-and-answer session in all these situations," Palmer said.
The next step in the search project - recommending a candidate for the position - falls under Smith's jurisdiction, Castillo said.
So far, Smith said he has met with DePuy and Roulhac, and hopes to meet with the other finalists by the end of this week.
"It's a matter of really seeing people in the UH administration," Smith said of the return visits. "It's an opportunity for me to get to know them."
In addition to meeting with him, finalists are also given the opportunity to meet with vice chancellors and members of the UH System Board of Regents, Smith said.
Roulhac, who visited Thursday, said he would not make drastic changes to UH-CL if selected.
"I can't help but think the health of this institution can only expand in the future," Roulhac said. "(If selected as president), I would join with the faculty, staff and students in simply advancing its mission."
As for selecting a president, Smith said, "I want to make (a decision) in time to make a formal recommendation to the Board of Regents at the meeting June 19."
In the search for the UH-V president, the search committee is still reviewing applications, said Chairwoman Dorothy Alcorn.
"We met (Wednesday) and we reviewed our applications," Alcorn said. "We've now cut it down to 14 candidates."
Alcorn said the search committee received a total of 58 applications for the position. She added that the committee will meet again this week to narrow the field down to six candidates.
"We're shooting for sometime before the end of June (to present the names)," Alcorn said. "Ideally, we'd like to see the president (take office) for the fall semester."