West Liberty University’s Presidential Search Committee met at 6 p.m. Monday, May 1 with AGB Search to evaluate the on-campus visits of the final four candidates seeking to become WLU’s 38th president.
Search Committee Chairman Thomas Cervone called the meeting to order at 6:03 p.m. with a roll call.
In attendance were: Jack Adams, Michael Baker, Keith Bell, Sydney Burkle, Richard Carter, Katie Cooper, John Dolan, Ryan Glanville, Dan Joseph, Karen Kettler, Richard Lucas, David McKinley, Jason Metz and Tasha Taylor, along with AGB Consultants Jerome Gilbert and Richard Wueste. Unable to attend was Jamie Evick.
Pursuant to WV Code §6-9A-4, at 6:05 p.m., a motion to retire to executive session was made by Carter and seconded by Adams, this motion passed unanimously.
A motion to rise from executive session at 7:08 p.m. was made by Dan Joseph and seconded by Richard Carter. By unanimous approval, the committee then rose from executive session. There were no actions emanating from the executive session, according to the minutes.
The final four candidates are:
Dr. Tim Borchers, vice president for Academic Affairs at Peru State College (Neb.), the oldest college in the state with an enrollment of approximately 2,000.
Dr. David Christiansen, chancellor of Penn State York, a position he began on August 1, 2018. Penn State York is a commuter campus with an enrollment of about 742 and is a commonwealth campus of Pennsylvania State University.
Dr. Kelly Ryan, interim chancellor of Indiana University (IU) Southeast, a regional campus of Indiana University with an enrollment of about 3,993.
Dr. Robert T. Smith, provost and vice president for academic affairs and professor of mathematics at Valdosta State University (Ga.), enrolling more than 10,000 students.
The final selection for president is made by the WLU Board of Governors which then forwards the name to the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (WVHEPC) for its seal of approval.
WLU hopes to have a president on board sometime in late spring, with an expected date of contract to begin July 1, 2023.
A special meeting of the Board of Governors is planned for 4 p.m., Tuesday, May 9, 2023.
More about the Search Committee:
Members of the Presidential Search Committee include Board of Governors, employees and students, specifically:
Board of Governor members: Chairman Tom Cervone, alumnus, Knoxville, Tenn.; Richard “Rich” Lucas (BOG chairman), Wheeling; Jack Adams (BOG vice chairman), McMurray, Pa.; Michael J. Baker, Wheeling; Dr. Keith Bell, professor of Criminal Justice; Arlene Brantley, Atlanta, Ga.; Richard Carter, Wheeling; Dr. Jamie Evick (BOG secretary and alumna), Glen Dale, W.Va.; Ryan Glanville (WLU staff member), Wheeling; Sydney Burkle, (student government president), Wheeling, W.Va.; Vice Chairman and alumnus David H. McKinley, Wheeling; Jason Metz (faculty member), Pittsburgh; and Stephanie Shaw (BOG member and alumna), Columbus, Ohio.
Also serving as search committee members are: Katie Cooper, assistant vice president of Enrollment Management; John Dolan, alumnus and member of the WLU Foundation Board; Dr. Daniel “Dan” Joseph, alumnus and member of the WLU Foundation Board; Dr. Karen Kettler, dean of the College of Sciences and Tasha Taylor, executive assistant to the provost.
