Narrowing the many Liberal Arts & Sciences dean candidates down to four proved to be a long process for the LA&S Dean Search Committee.

Beginning in fall 2006, the committee began the task of narrowing hundreds of candidates to the four who will be competing for the position in the next two weeks.

Samie Chaudhry, a senior political science and geography major and the undergraduate representative to the search committee, said several common goals were expressed by the committee when looking for a new dean.

“One of the first things we did when we got together was put together a short list of what the college really needs, what we’re looking for in a new dean and where we want the college to go,” Chaudhry said.

Stephanie Marberry, a graduate psychology student and the graduate representative for the search committee, said there are many qualities the committee is looking for in the new dean.

“One of the major issues that was of concern was shared governance,” Marberry said.

The committee is looking for a dean “who is actually willing to work with more of a consensus on issues,” Marberry said.

Marberry and Chaudhry also said that the new dean is expected to address specific issues such as strategic planning for the college and allocating resources to individual departments.

Both representatives addressed the impact the new dean will have on students. Hiring new and diverse faculty, finding new methods of bringing in grant money and creating new departments while also expanding existing departments are all goals the committee would like to have the new dean meet.

Chaudhry recognized the importance of the dean to the students.

“The dean is a representative of the students and the college faculty members and staff to the university president and to the provost and to other deans,” Chaudhry said. “It’s the dean that represents us; he’s advocating for the students, he’s our voice to the president.”

In addition to serving the students and faculty of LA&S, the committee is searching for a dean who brings something more to the table.

“The component of having a vision is key,” Marberry said. The committee is looking for “someone who thinks big.”