Herbert may consider stepping down early

IU President Adam Herbert said he may step down before his contract is up in 2008 if a replacement is found, but he could stay on for the interim in a different role. A 12-member search committee to find a new president will be announced at a special IU board of trustees meeting Tuesday at IU-Purdue University Indianapolis. \nA unique situation could present itself in the coming year. If a new president is found before 2008, Herbert could stay on in a different capacity to finish out his contract. Though this is a possibility, finding a new president is not expected to be an easy task. \n"One possibility is, a new president could be brought on board as soon as next July," Herbert said in an interview with Inside Indiana Business's Gerry Dick. "There are a number of things I could do to be helpful, whether I'm in the president's role or not." \nTrustee Sue Talbot said the trustees are starting the search early, but that doesn't mean they are necessarily going to end it early. Talbot was on the committee that had a 60-day period to name Herbert as president in 2003, but Larry MacIntyre, IU spokesman, said the search will take longer this time. \n"The board of trustees does not want to be locked into any time frame," MacIntyre said. "There's no pressure to be done by a certain date." \nThe committee will be made up of three trustees, a chancellor, some faculty members and a student representative. Competition is fierce for the high-pressure job, as numerous schools are looking for a new president, including the University of Iowa, Ohio State University and Harvard University. \nTalbot said Herbert has been fair and helpful in the transition to a new president and that she looks for similar qualities in the next president. She said they're looking for leadership abilities, strong fundraising skills and strong credentials to complement collected student input on the decision. \n"They don't necessarily have to have an IU connection," Talbot said. "We want student input and to engage in conversations with the IUSA contributing a great deal." \nMany factions must come to an agreement on the future president, but trustees are excited about the upcoming search. \n"I always look forward to the challenge of it," Talbot said. "I really enjoy that kind of thing. That's why I signed on to be trustee"