Hundreds of people have applied for the top post at Binghamton University, but the Presidential Search Committee has narrowed down the pool to a handful of candidates.

They plan to meet the remaining applicants for personal interviews, which will take place off campus in the weeks ahead.

‘We are at a good place right now,’ said Kathryn Madigan, chair of the Presidential Search Committee. ‘It will be very interesting to finally meet all these accomplished candidates we have only seen on paper, face-to-face,’ she said.

The Committee plans to have a new president on campus before the beginning of the fall 2011 semester. According to Madigan, it has been recognized that former President Lois DeFleur’s compensation was quite low compared to those of other public institutions and members plan to work closely with the chancellor on an appropriate compensation package for the next BU president.

Following the interviews, the Search Committee will determine the top five candidates to recommend to the University Council, and campus visits will be scheduled to ensure the academic community can participate. Once the five semi-finalists have been determined, those candidates’ names are made public, prior to the pending campus visits.

The BU Council will then recommend its top three candidates to SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher. From there, Zimpher will make the final recommendation to the SUNY Trustees for approval.

According to Madigan, the exact dates for these decisions would be difficult to predict at this time, ‘as it is so dependent upon the off-site interviews as well as our ongoing recruiting efforts.’

‘The goal is not to meet any artificial deadlines but to take whatever time we need to find the very best president for Binghamton,’ Madigan said.

Madigan has found that one of the hardest parts of the process has been that many candidates have noted their concern with state legislature and budgets cuts. Despite this, most of the candidate feedback has noted that ‘Binghamton is a rising star in the academic arena,’ according to the chair.

Madigan revealed an inspiring appreciation for her involvement in Binghamton’s presidential search.

‘We really are trying to hone in on who is the right fit for Binghamton. We are very pleased with the quality of the applicant pool. It is really gratifying to tell candidates about Binghamton, as we have a lot to be proud of ‘ I have been part of the University for a long time. I am really proud to be a part of this whole process,’ Madigan said.

Madigan, chair of the BU Council, was responsible for selecting members of the Search Committee, and made sure to guarantee membership was diverse and well-qualified.

According to Madigan, she had great difficulty keeping the Search Committee within a reasonable number while trying to balance the need for a committee that was small enough to be efficient but large enough to characterize the BU community.

‘There were so many qualified candidates for the Committee,’ she said.

The Search Committee is structured in accordance with the SUNY guidelines, with the goal of representation from all of the University constituencies. Although the guidelines called for only one student member, Madigan felt strongly that the Committee needed both a graduate and undergraduate student in participation. The undergraduate is Kathryn Howard, a junior majoring in political science, and the graduate student is Jared McShall of the psychology department.

Madigan contacted various prominent student leaders on campus asking for nominations for the undergraduate position. Howard was the top nominee chosen by Madigan.

Howard agreed that this process has been both rewarding and difficult.

‘In general, this has been a wonderful experience that I am extremely grateful for. I come from a student standpoint so it has been very interesting to see and really understand faculty, staff and alumni points of view,’ Howard said.

Howard also said she has an equally significant role in the process as other members. She is responsible for reading applications, deliberating on candidates and conducting interviews alongside other committee members.

The committee has support from its search consultant, Isaacson Miller, a national job search firm. The firm reviews all the submitted applications and is responsible for recruiting top candidates that are considered a good fit for Binghamton University. According to Madigan, there are often qualified candidates that have not yet applied but who are of interest to the committee. Isaacson Miller is charged with seeking out those candidates.

Madigan has expressed significant gratitude toward the efforts of the Search Committee.

‘The very broad, diverse and talented members of the Committee are the key players who are really putting their heart and soul into the process,’ she said.