The national search has narrowed for candidates to fill the vice chancellor of Student Affairs position at UTM. Nine of 26 original applicants remain in the running.

The search for a new vice chancellor of Student Affairs started last fall after the former vice chancellor, Katie High, resigned from her position. David Belote has been the interim vice chancellor since High’s departure, making this the second time that Belote has been in the interim position. After looking at 26 applicants, the nine-person committee recently narrowed the search to nine applicants and plans on completing reference reviews this week.

Steve Vantrease, search committee member and UC director, says that experience in Student Affairs is important in selecting a new vice chancellor.

“I am looking for someone with a broad base of successful Student Affairs experience. I think they need to know about the philosophical side of attending to the needs of the students as well as the business side of dealing with large budgets and managing the services that students need,” Vantrease says.

Al Hooten, search committee chair and vice chancellor of Finance and Administration says that a rather strict process has to be followed in selecting search committee members. “We need to exhibit that our search committee is diverse with gender and ethnic background being represented,” Hooten says.

The search committee includes two faculty representatives (Dr. Lisa LeBleu, associate professor in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences and Dr. Jerald Ogg, dean of the College of Humanities and Fine Arts), five staff representatives, (Al Hooten, vice chancellor for Finance and Administration; Charley Deal, director of Alumni Relations; Sandra Neel, director of Student Financial Assistance; Steve Vantrease, UC director; and Teresa Woody, Director of Minority Affairs) and two student representatives (James Orr, Student Government president and Kerry Roman). Woody and Orr are listed as the minority representatives on the search committee.

Vantrease says that the quality of applicants has “run the gamut.”

“I could probably think of four (applicants) right now that I think are excellent on paper. We had some that had no business applying,” Vantrease says.

Applicants who have applied for the position are not being named at this time in the search process so as to not compromise their current employment. Hooten did, however, provide information about the remaining nine candidates. The Pacer has been able to confirm that one of the candidates is from UTM.

Two of the applicants are from Tennessee. The others are from Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, Arkansas, Texas, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Hooten said all nine candidates have a minimum of 10 years progressive experience in a Student Affairs area. Seven candidates have a doctorate, one has a law degree and one has a master’s degree with some hours toward a doctorate.

At issue among members of the search committee has been whether the person selected for the vice chancellor position should hold a doctorate. “We spent quite a bit of time on the doctoral, non-doctoral issue. The discussion was honest and upfront,” Vantrease says. Vantrease tells The Pacer that it is not uncommon to have people in administrative areas that are successful who do not hold a doctorate. To him, the focus should be on experience and dedication.

Student representative on the committee, James Orr, was at first reluctant to say whether he thinks the candidate should have a doctoral degree. Orr then said he did not believe it should be a requirement. “I think that if a person has the experience and they are capable to do the job and that if they will fight for students then I think it is fine that they don’t have a PhD,” Orr says.

The search committee is expected to narrow down the list of applicants by conducting interviews at the end of February and then make a final recommendation to Chancellor Nick Dunagan on March 10.