Kansas board launches search for next PSU president
Sep. 17—PITTSBURG, Kan. — The search for the next president of Pittsburg State University could get underway soon following approval this week of the search process.
The Kansas Board of Regents, the governing board of the state's six universities, including PSU, voted Thursday to conduct a closed committee-led search, with Washington, D.C.-based AGB Search as the consulting firm.
The closed search is necessary "in the interest of trying to attract as many qualified candidates as possible," said Cheryl Harrison-Lee, the board's chairperson, during Thursday's meeting in Topeka. "What we've learned from our experiences (is) that many of the sought-after candidates in university leadership positions do not want to be publicly tied to a search at another institution."
The committee will be chaired by Rick Webb, a PSU graduate and CEO of Pittsburg-based Watco. Board of Regents member Bill Feuerborn, also a PSU graduate, will serve as vice chairman.
The board will be involved in appointing additional committee members, Harrison-Lee said. According to board policy, committee members may include classified and unclassified staff, students, faculty, administration, alumni and community members.
A new president at Pittsburg State will succeed Steve Scott, who announced in July that he will retire next summer. He has served as president since 2009.
Across the state line, the Crowder College board of trustees also has launched the search for a successor for President Glenn Coltharp, who will retire at the end of the academic year. The college announced last month that it will work with the Association of Community College Trustees to develop a profile of the job position, recruit candidates and hold open forums for final candidates.
