The search for a new president at a Regency university continues.

The Sangamon State University Presidential Search Committee met March 30 to screen candidates for the presidency of the Springfield school.

Board of Regents Chancellor Roderick Groves said the search committee is in the process of identifying a group of 9 to 12 semifinalists.

Groves said he expects the semifinalists to be selected at the next meeting, which does not yet have a set date.

The semifinalists will be chosen from a group of 120 candidates, Groves said. About 100 of these candidates applied and the rest were nominated, he added.

The semifinalists will go through an interview process, Groves said.

The committee will then narrow the field down to 3 to 5 finalists. The finalists will be presented to the Regents, who will make the final selection.

Groves said he could not reveal the names of any leading candidates at this time.

Groves said he hopes to present the finalists to the Regents at the May or June meetings.

Although Groves has said in the past he wanted the decision made before the new fiscal year begins on July 1, he now expects the new president to be in office by the start of the fall semester.

The SSU presidency was vacated when former SSU president Durward Long left Feb. 1 to take the vice chancellor for Strategic Planning position at the Regents’ central office.

Wayne Penn is currently serving as the acting president and has also applied for the position.