Provost search group to meet

Staff members and students chosen to serve on the provost search committee will meet for the first time Monday to begin looking for a replacement for outgoing Provost Michael Aiken, an official in the president's office said yesterday. Linda Hyatt, acting executive director of the president's office, said President Sheldon Hackney finalized the committee members sometime this week. But Hyatt said she could not reveal the names of the committee's 12 staff members, two undergraduates and two graduate students until after Monday's meeting. "That way the committee is able to talk . . . and have an exchange with the president before information is released," she said. As mandated by the University's by-laws, six members of the committee were chosen by the Faculty Senate, six were chosen by Hackney, two undergraduates were chosen by the Nominations and Elections Committee and two graduate students were picked by the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly. The NEC chose the undergraduate representatives Wednesday, student government members said last night. The Faculty Senate submitted their choices to Hackney early this month. Hyatt said that she does not think a committee chairperson has yet been named. She said that at Monday's meeting the committee will decide on a deadline for naming a new provost. The committee will also decide whether it will consider candidates from outside the University. Judging from recent searches, the provost search may take a while. The University filled a six-month vacancy in the executive vice presidency last month when the University Trustees confirmed Janet Hale at their stated meeting. And the search for a judicial inquiry officer is currently in its second round after a first attempt last year surfaced no appropriate candidates. The University has been without a permanent JIO since August 1991.

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