27 Aug VCSU presidential search: 5 candidates invited to campus Sept. 10-12
Valley City, N.D. – The Valley City State University Presidential Search Committee, charged by the North Dakota University System to evaluate candidates for the VCSU presidency, has narrowed the pool of applicants to five candidates who have been invited to campus for interviews to be scheduled Sept. 10-12, 2018.
Fifty candidates applied for the VCSU position, which the search committee narrowed to 12 for interviews via interactive video on Aug. 16-17. Following these interviews, the search committee narrowed the pool to the five semifinalists invited to campus.
The semifinalists are:
• Daniel Barwick, Ph.D., CFRE, president, Independence Community College; Independence, Kansas
• Jeanine Gangeness, Ph.D., associate vice president for academic affairs (Rochester campus), and dean, School of Graduate Studies, Winona State University; Winona and Rochester, Minnesota
• Jack Geller, Ph.D., dean, College of Social Sciences, Mathematics and Education, University of Tampa; Tampa, Florida
• Alan LaFave, D.M.A., provost and vice president for academic affairs, Northern State University; Aberdeen, South Dakota
• James Williams, Ph.D., MBA, vice president for student affairs, Emporia State University; Emporia, Kansas
The VCSU Presidential Search Committee is co-chaired by Greg Stemen, VCSU alumnus and vice chair of the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education, and Wesley Wintch, VCSU vice president for business affairs.
According to Wintch, the search committee appreciated the depth and breadth of the 50-candidate pool. “We had tremendous interest in the VCSU presidency, and the selection of only five candidates to bring to campus was challenging,” said Wintch. “We’re very excited to bring these talented leaders in education to Valley City and provide them an opportunity to interact with our people and spend time on campus.”
During their campus visits, the semifinalists will meet with students, faculty, staff, alumni, friends, and campus and community leaders, with the search committee soliciting feedback from all of these key stakeholder groups.
Following the on-campus interviews, the search committee will recommend an unranked slate of finalist candidates to the State Board of Higher Education. The board will conduct final interviews on the VCSU campus on Thursday, Sept. 27, 2018, with the selection of the next VCSU president announced thereafter. It is anticipated that the new VCSU president will assume office by Jan. 1, 2019.