Michael Baer, vice president at the Isaacson, Miller, the search firm hired to help find the new president, speaks about the hiring process on Friday, June 3, 2016, during the Presidential Search Committee meeting at Western Kentucky University. (Miranda Pederson/photo@bgdailynews.com)

Officials searching for Western Kentucky University’s next president continued the process Friday by meeting with representatives of search firm Isaacson, Miller. 

Members of the search committee, two of whom were absent because other obligations, divided their time between discussing the process’ timeline and their desired qualities for WKU’s 10th president.

Committee members rattled off a wide-ranging list of qualities. They wanted someone with an academic background, money management skills and forward-thinking attitude about the university’s direction, among other attributes. 

Jim Meyer, a committee member and local businessman, said the university’s next president will have to build off of the achievements of retiring President Gary Ransdell. 

“We don’t want a person that is going to revitalize the campus,” he said. “It’s already been done.”

Officials also discussed a timeline for the search process with Isaacson, Miller vice presidents Michael Baer and Daniel Rodas. Both representatives have experience in higher education, with Baer being a former dean at the University of Kentucky and Rodas a former vice president at Long Island University. They’ve toured WKU’s campus with Ransdell and met with administration officials in recent days. 

Phillip Bale, a Board of Regents member heading the search committee, said the next step in the process is developing a position profile over the next several months. It’s meant to help officials determine what kind of candidate they want to hire for the job. 

After the profile is developed, Baer said, search firm reps will start making calls for a few weeks. Following that, representatives will come back to the committee with information they’ve collected about the individuals. 

The firm will use feedback on candidates from the committee to further screen candidates before returning for a second time, Baer said. 

“Then there will be a time when the committee has relatively brief interviews … with a group of individuals that they want to seriously consider and will decide based on those interviews who they wish to send forward to the board (of Regents),” Baer said. 

After Bale asked when the committee will actually be looking at names, Baer said the first set of names could be presented the week of Sept. 26. The next set could come when the committee meets the week of Nov. 7. The series of “airport interviews” could take place the week of Nov. 28. 

The timeline isn’t set in stone, Bale said, but the committee aims to narrow the field to two to five candidates by Dec. 1. Another faculty forum and a four-question survey for faculty and students was also discussed. 

Bale stressed the importance of maintaining confidentiality. He said finalists for the job would be given a choice to give up that confidentiality. 

“It could open, but more likely than not they’ll want to maintain that confidentiality.”

— Follow Daily News WKU, county schools and general assignment reporter Aaron Mudd on Twitter @aaron_muddbgdn or visit bgdailynews.com.