Nearly three months after SUNY Chancellor Robert King resigned, a search committee is still working to find a suitable replacement.
According to David Henahan, SUNY spokesman, the Board of Trustees held a two-day public retreat on July 14 and 15 to begin the process of searching for a permanent chancellor.
"There have been a number of presentations made to members of the board by outside experts including campus presidents and various other campus constituencies," Henahan said.
At the end of the two days, the beginnings of the search committee - 14 members who are actively involved in the SUNY system - were formed and a timeline for completing the search was laid out.
According to the SUNY Web site, it is anticipated that a new chancellor will be selected in time to take office either on or close to next July 2006.
King's tenure, though largely successful, was marred by criticism regarding SUNY's large tuition increase as well as his ill-advised request for a sabbatical.
The search for a new chancellor began in June, when King abruptly withdrew his sabbatical request and submitted his resignation after holding the position for six years. King is currently serving as the interim president of the SUNY College at Potsdam.
In the meantime, Acting Chancellor John Ryan has temporarily taken King's place until a new chancellor is found.
Though stuck with an "interim" tag, Ryan has been active, endorsing a Stony Brook University plan to acquire Long Island University's Southampton College campus.
While his actions indicate that Ryan has designs on becoming a permanent chancellor, his decision is still up in the air, according to Henahan.
"Acting Chancellor Ryan has not yet decided if he wants to be a candidate in the search," he said.
SUNY has not yet publicly announced any candidates for the position.
Photo: Courtesy of Matthew Messina, from the RMBERS' Instagram page
