I would like to update you on the progress of the search for the vice president for academic affairs. You will recall that in December, after 18 months of diligent work by our search committee, the candidate of choice declined the opportunity to join St. Thomas.

The search committee and I worked to solicit new candidates beginning in January. The Chronicle of Higher Education listed the position announcement in its print edition on Jan. 24, 2003, and carried it for 30 days on their Web site beginning Jan. 17. Members of the search committee and I contacted colleagues around the country, asking for nominations for the position.

To date we have received 54 applications. Twenty-one are from the Midwest region, with the remainder coming from other areas of the country.

The search committee has met three times since the start of the spring semester. After reviewing the applicant materials, invitations to an initial off-campus interview were extended to five individuals. From this pool we anticipate selecting candidates who will be asked to visit St. Thomas in late April to early May for campus interviews that will include open sessions to which all members of the community will be invited.

I would like to again express my gratitude to the members of the search committee for their ongoing commitment to this process.

Members of the search committee are:

• Judith Dwyer, executive vice president, chair
• Angie Barretta-Herman, professor, School of Social Work and interim associate vice president for academic affairs
• Ron Bennett, director of the Graduate Programs in Engineering and Technology Management and chair of the undergraduate Engineering Department
• Colleen Coffey, junior, UST, Social Sciences major
• Tom Connery, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences
• Tom Fish, associate professor and chair, educational leadership, School of Education
• Neil Hamilton, professor of law, School of Law
• Robert G. Kennedy, professor, College of Business
• Jill Manske, associate professor, Biology Department
• Nancy McGrath, assistant to the executive vice president and interim special assistant to the executive vice president for diversity, secretary
• Robert K. Miller, professor, English Department
• Janice Raffield, associate professor, accounting, College of Business, and chair of the Faculty Affairs Committee
• Greg Roberts, vice president for student affairs
• Susan Webster, associate professor and chair, Art History, College of Arts and Sciences
• Margaret Wick, interim director of institutional research and planning and interim special assistant to the executive vice president for mission