Search to replace Gros Louis continues

On one hand, IU President Adam Herbert hopes to have a new chancellor selected by the end of the school year. On the other hand, Herbert hopes the new chancellor will remind him of the interim one, Ken Gros Louis.\nA selection committee that will take on the task of finding, interviewing and choosing who it wants to recommend to become the next chancellor and vice president of academic affairs at IU should be completed in the next week.\nThe committee should be comprised of 12 faculty members, two students, two staff members, a trustee and a vice president, Gros Louis said. Herbert said he hoped for the committee to be fully appointed a week after Thanksgiving break and for the first advertisements about the position to go out early in the spring semester.\n"My hope is to have a new officer of the University designated some point during the spring term, with that individual beginning their duty in the fall," Herbert said.\nThe first step in the whole process was for Gros Louis to present Herbert with a complete job description of his role in the University. The job description, which was completed several weeks ago, was the last of Gros Louis' involvement with selecting his predecessor, but his aid to the University has been far greater in his year long interim term, Herbert said. \n"I've had the opportunity of serving as a university president or a chancellor since 1989," Herbert said. "And I've enjoyed working with Ken Gros Louis more than I have anyone else. He is so knowledgeable of this campus and he understands the traditions of the University. He understands the politics and has been extremely valuable to me."\nStep two of the hiring process has been formulating a committee that touches on every aspect of the University. It has been the responsibility of the Bloomington Faculty Council and its president, Dave Daleke, to submit names of the nominees for the 12 faculty spots on the committee.\n"The goal in selecting faculty is to try and place people who have a broad knowledge of the University and what I would take to fill the position," Daleke said. \nDaleke said the committee will look over internal and external candidates for the job and most likely hire a search firm for assistance with the external candidates. The committee would then cut the list down to a reasonable number.\nHerbert also said the committee will hold one or more public sessions to get feedback from the rest of the campus community.\nThough Herbert will seek assistance from a selection committee, he already has the perfect model for his dreams of the new IU vice president and chancellor.\n"In a sense, if I could find someone exactly like (Gros Louis) it would be a wonderful thing," Herbert said. "Certainly for the campus and as a president, it would make a big difference."\n-- Contact staff writer Brian Janosch at bjanosch@indiana.edu.