In another step forward in the selection of a new Michigan State University president, the Board of Trustees has appointed 18 members to the presidential search committee.

“Our commitment to the university community was to identify a search committee that is inclusive, diverse and representative of the broader MSU stakeholders including students, staff, faculty, deans and alumni, and we have done that,” said Trustee Dianne Byrum, who serves as the presidential search committee co-chair.

The committee will have a diverse group of 10 women and eight men, a representative cross-section of the colleges and members with unique backgrounds and experiences.

“We approached organizing the search committee as one Spartan community and sought input from students, faculty, staff and the broader MSU community,” said Trustee Melanie Foster, who serves as the other co-chair.

Members of the search committee represent:

Alumni from the private sector

Associated Students of MSU

Athletic Council

Council of Graduate Students

Deans

Faculty Senate, distinguished professors and endowed chairs

Labor and staff

Trustees

Search committee members will participate in campus listening sessions and provide input on the selection of a search firm. Members will also help compile the characteristics and qualities desired in MSU’s next president and provide input on the position description, as well as screen and interview applicants to advance a pool of qualified candidates to the Board of Trustees for further consideration.

The announcement of the search committee members follows a request for proposals for a presidential search firm, announcement of the timeline to hire MSU’s 21st president and the selection of Teresa A. Sullivan, retired University of Virginia president, to advise the presidential search process.

It is the goal of the Board of Trustees to have a new president announced no later than June 2019. The public can follow the search as it progresses at msu.edu/presidentialsearch.