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 Gerry Dick of Inside Indiana Business. "There are a number of things I could do to be helpful, whether I'm in the president's role or not." \nStephen Ferguson, president of the board of trustees, said Herbert could possibly teach or research in addition to working on special projects and assisting in a smooth transition for the new president. Ferguson said Herbert's role would strongly take into consideration who the new president is and what is best for the University.\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 helped by a search firm, which Ferguson said will be in place by August 1. Ferguson said the University has already sent out requests for search firms and are receiving replies. \nFerguson said he understands the interview process is a two-way street and that the candidates will be interviewing the University as well. In regards to the salary of the new president, Ferguson said it will not end up at the top of the Big Ten and will not end up at the bottom either, but instead somewhere in the middle.\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."\nA presidential search is just one of a number of items on the table for Tuesday's full day of trustee board meetings. Ferguson said some items on the agenda are general education requirements, Ivy Tech matriculation and a life sciences update by Craig Brater, IU School of Medicine dean and vice president of life sciences.