WSC president candidate visits are set

The Williston State College Presidential Search Committee is ready to conduct on-campus interviews for six finalists vying to become the next president of Williston State College.

After reviewing a pool of approximately 40 candidates over the past few months, the committee voted to invite Kay Atkins, provost at Columbus State Community College in Columbus, Ohio; Darla Brown, founding director at the University of Arizona Pima County Outreach Satellite Sites in Pima County, Ariz.; Verlyn Fick, Southeastern Community College vice president of Teaching and Learning in West Burlington, Iowa; John Miller, instructional dean of the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls, Idaho; Raymond Nadolny, vice president of extended learning at Lake Washington Technical College in Redman, Wash.; Gregory Timberlake, executive director-administrator of Hinds Hospice in Fresno, Calif; and Guy Mills, University of Texas-Permian Basin associate provost and school of education dean in Odessa, Texas.

Mills, however, submitted a letter informing the committee he was withdrawing from the list, as he was offered another job, Committee Chair Dick McKennett said during a committee meeting on Monday morning.

The campus visits begin on Wednesday, Jan. 14, at 7:30 a.m. and end on Friday, Jan. 16, at 8 p.m. Two candidates are being interviewed per day.

In an attempt to gather as much information as possible from the finalists, the committee is holding a committee interview, a faculty/staff/student forum and a public forum.

"It is basically important because they are going to be addressing three different groups (of people) from the community," said McKennett in a telephone interview after the meeting.

The committee is obtaining input from attendees at the two forums by providing them with a comment sheet for each of the candidates. The comment sheet also is to provide a concise resume for the finalists.

This information is to be reviewed during the final committee meeting on Jan. 21, where at least three candidates need to be selected so the State Board of Higher Education can make a final decision.

"We want the students of WSC, the faculty and administration to have their chance to hear each of the candidates and give their input," said McKennett on having a separate forum for the WSC community.

At the same time, McKennett encourages residents to attend the public forums held at the Williston Community Library.

"They can show up, and in fact, if they don't want to leave an evaluation, they don't have to and they can just listen," he said.

Joel Swanson, general manager of Northern Plain Radio, is serving as the moderator for the community forum, while Steve Slocum, director of marketing of First National Bank and Trust Co., is to be the moderator for the faculty/staff/student forum.

After the committee reviewed the on-campus itineraries for each of the candidates, it decided to make a minor change to the format of the forums. Initially, candidates would have a full 15-minute opening statement, yet the committee decided to change this requirement to "up to 15 minutes."

This decision resulted after committee members Wanda Meyer and Ward Koeser raised concerns that 15 minutes is a long time for an opening statement.

Committee member Terry Olson agreed in adding "some may want to give 15 minutes and some may want to give five," thus the change should accommodate everyone.

The other item discussed Monday was the number of questions the committee would ask during its one-hour interview. After reviewing a set of questions, the committee decided to ask 17 questions on a variety of topics, including how the finalist would attempt to increase enrollment at WSC.

During these forums, as well as the committee interview, candidates are to get approximately 10 minutes at the end to address their concerns or questions.

Each candidate is also to receive a one-hour tour of Williston and WSC.

"What are you doing for the city tours?" McKennett asked committee member Diane Hagen, who is coordinating these tours along with various volunteers.

Some possible sites are Mercy Medical Center, Hammond Park, local elementary and high schools, the Williston Community Library and area football and baseball fields.

However, the city tour is expected to be a drive-by tour as there is only 30 minutes allotted, Hagen said.