President Randy Dunn is one of two semifinalists in the search for Missouri State University president, the other is Clifton M. Smart III, interim president of Missouri State University.
In March of 2012, the Missouri State University Board of Governors began a search for the 11th president of its university.
This is the second time the University president has been part of a presidential search outside of the University.
In October of 2010, the University of Tennessee’s presidential search panel announced its candidates, and while Dunn was nominated, he was not selected.
Dunn told the Murray State Board of Regents via email on Saturday, Sept. 22 he had applied for the position of the president of Missouri State University.
The Missouri State University campus and public were made aware of the university’s search on March 8, and on March 30, the Board of Governors’ Chair, Gordon Elliot, established a 20-member Presidential Search Committee, which was then approved by the entire board.
Publicity and advertising for the open president position began May 17, after the board reviewed the job description and the 25-Year Assumptions/Presidential Competencies document, meant to establish a guide for the search.
In July, applications were due. The committee began reviewing applications, screening candidates and selecting the semifinalists during the months of July and August. On Sept. 8-9, the committee conducted interviews with the semifinalists, Dunn included.
The Presidential Search Committee released the semifinalist’s names today.
Dunn’s on-campus interview will be held Oct. 7-9 with a full set of meetings, including an open forum from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Oct. 8 in the Plaster Student Union Theater. The multi-day visits will include interviews with the Board of Governors, as well as individual sessions with faculty, staff, students and the community; trips to the Mountain Grove and West Plains campuses; and tours of the Springfield campus and community.
The Board of Governors hope the nationwide search will conclude with a selection by Nov. 1. The selected candidate would begin as early in 2013 as possible, no later than July.
As of the spring semester, Missouri State University boasted an enrollment of 19,715. Murray State had an enrollment of 10,623 for the fall of 2011.
President Dunn was selected to fill the position of Murray State president in May of 2006 and began the role on Dec. 1, 2006. In September of 2010, the Regents renewed the president’s contract through June 30, 2014.
The dates and information concerning the presidential search of Missouri State University were collected via the Missouri State University Presidential Search Timeline.
Story by Chris Wilcox, News Editor.