Rutgers pursues Brand

IU president Myles Brand was recently contacted by Rutgers University in New Jersey to see if he was interested in its open position of president. \nThe East Brunswick Home News Tribune named Brand as a candidate Sunday, but IU Vice President of Public Affairs and Government Relations Bill Stephan said Brand is not considering taking the position.\n"He has indicated that he was contacted and was flattered by their interest," Stephan said Sunday afternoon. "He thanked them and politely declined." \nStephan said he thinks Brand was contacted by Rutgers University sometime within the last month or two. Rutgers is a state university that has 50,000 students on three campuses in Camden, Newark and New Brunswick-Piscataway.\nBrand's name often comes up in searches like this because he's been in higher education for many years and is highly respected by his peers, Stephan said. \n"When inquiries come his way, he reminds (every institution) that if he wants to be a university president, he wants to be president of Indiana University." \nBrand, IU's 16th president, began his tenure in 1994. He holds faculty positions in the Departments of Philosophy at IU-Bloomington and IU-Purdue University at Indianapolis. He also serves on a number of boards, including those of national higher education associations, according to President Brand's Web site.\nRutgers University's current president, Francis Lawrence, announced in February he would step down when a successor was selected. The search committee for the new president includes faculty, students and alumni.\nMore than 200 candidates have been nominated or suggested and the search committee has narrowed the list to fewer than 20.\nBut officials at Rutgers have declined to say who exactly is a candidate for the position.\nWhile Rutgers may be considering Brand for the presidency, Stephan is sure Brand is not interested.\n"His focus is Indiana University, and that's where he wants to remain president," Stephan said.\nThe Associated Press contributed to this report.