The search for two new deans was discussed at University Council Wednesday.

NIU is conducting dean searches for the College of Law and the University Libraries, Provost Ray Alden said.

The law dean search is currently being conducted by the national executive search firm Witt/Kieffer, Alden said. Witt/Kieffer was chosen because the firm has double the experience with law dean searches than any other competitor, he said.

The search for a law dean is expected to narrow in Jan., Alden said.

However, when asked to also search for a library dean, Witt/Kieffer declined due to the firm’s lack of involvement in library dean searches, Alden said.

Instead, NIU created a recruitment subcommittee to search for a dean.

“Deans of libraries are difficult to recruit,” Alden said. “The demographics are such that there are not many candidates for these kinds of positions. We are going to try to expedite the process and be as aggressive as we can.”

Also at UC, Alden gave a brief update on the Strategic Planning Task Force.

“Strategic Planning is going along swimmingly,” Alden said.

Next week the dean’s council will have a retreat where they will go over some of the 200 concept papers that contain university-wide and multi-disciplinary perspectives, Alden said.

Also at the meeting, NIU President John Peters discussed the Altgeld Holiday Family Celebration, which will be held Friday.

“In 2005 when we opened Altgeld Hall, there were members of the community who weren’t able to take the open house tour,” Peters said. “So I decided to do a holiday community open house in December.”

NIU invites the community to come for crafts, family photo session and deserts at no cost, Peters said.

“There isn’t a lot of free and uplifting things for families who don’t have a lot to do with small children,” Peters said. “We’ve developed this idea where we’re having this family celebration.”