The first of five candidates for NIU vice president for student affairs will appear in an open forum today.

After meeting with NIU administrators, James Gold will answer questions from 2 to 3 p.m. in the University Suite located in the Holmes Student Center.

Narbeth Emmanuel, Barry Ward Reister, Augistine Pounds and Barbara Henely, who is the acting vice president, are the remaining candidates who also will visit NIU in January or early February.

NIU has been without an official vice president for student affairs since Jon Dalton’s resignation in June 1989. Dalton left NIU for a similar position at Florida State University in Tallahassee.

Gold is the vice president for student affairs at the State University of New York, in Buffalo. His responsibilities include career development, intercollegiate athletics, minority student services, resident life and health services.

Gold was vice president for student affairs at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston for four years. He has a bachelor’s degree in history and master’s and doctoral degrees in counselor education and psychology.

Pounds will be at NIU Jan. 21 through 23. Pounds is vice president for student development and associate professor of education at Murray State University in Murray, Ky.

Among her responsibilities are admissions and records, the student center, food services, minority student affairs and student health and support services.

Pounds has been at Murray State since 1989 and was previously dean of students at Iowa State University in Ames. She has a bachelor’s degree in sociology and speech, a master’s in guidance counseling and a doctorate in educational administration.

On Jan. 28 through 30 Emmanuel, who is from the University of Vermont, Burlington, will visit NIU. At the University of Vermont, his responsibilities include financial aid, special services for the disabled, residency appeals and multicultural affairs.

Emmanuel has been at Vermont since 1989 and was previously assistant to the vice provost at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. He has a bachelor’s and master’s degree in health and physical education and a doctorate in educational administration and supervision.

Henely will be interviewed Jan. 31 through Feb. 2. She has been at NIU since 1987 and her responsibilities include overseeing student housing, the student judicial office, campus child care and student financial aid.

Henely holds a bachelor’s degree in history and teacher education, a master’s in counselor education and a doctorate in counselor education with an emphasis on counseling psychology.

The last scheduled candidate, Reister, will visit from Feb. 4 through 6. Reister is dean of students at Queens College of the City University of New York in Flushing. His duties include health services, the scholar’s program, services for students with disabilities and minority affairs.

He has a bachelor’s degree in education, a master’s in counseling and education and a doctorate in counseling psychology.