The NIU Faculty Senate discussed the criteria for the new provost when it met in the ballroom of the Barsema Alumni and Visitors Center Wednesday.

The search for a new provost began when current Provost Ivan Legg announced earlier this semester he would be retiring from his position effective July 1, 2006.

NIU hired an executive firm to facilitate the search for a new provost, said Natalie Churyk, associate professor of accountancy and Faculty Senate member. A representative from the firm made an unscheduled appearance at the meeting and discussed the issue with the senate.

The representative asked the senate what the criteria is for a provost, Churyk said. The senate also took the opportunity to ask the representative about the search and what it would entail.

The firm will take about seven months to conduct the search, the representative said. This is a shorter time frame than usual, said Alan Rosenbaum, psychology professor and Faculty Senate member.

The Faculty Senate also said they want to make sure the firm finds someone who is research savvy and sensitive to issues of diversity, Rosenbaum said. They want the new provost to be someone who has respect for the democratic structure of the NIU government system.

“The Faculty Senate wants the new provost to be their colleague and ally,” Rosenbaum said.

Two criteria at this point are the new provost would need a doctorate or a terminal degree and would need previous experience working at a public university, said Amy Rose, professor of adult and higher education and Faculty Senate member.

Other topics of discussion at the meeting included the disbanding of a state organization that handled the creation of rules and criteria for transferring credits between colleges, Churyk said. The state wants individual colleges to decide on the criteria, and the Faculty Senate only has a limited time to decide a stance on this issue. Some members expressed concern for this change, Churyk said.

The ongoing struggle regarding teacher salaries was another topic discussed, Rosenbaum said. The Illinois Board of Higher Education didn’t take into consideration all of the time teachers put in outside of teaching classes when determining salaries, which creates tension between the board and teachers, Rosenbaum said.