By late May or early June, as many as 60 candidates could be identified for the University presidency, a consultant told the Presidential Candidate Search Committee at its April 1 meeting.

"We can't hurry or speed up this part of the search," said Bill Funk, president of R. William Funk & Associates of Dallas, Texas, the firm selected March 18 to assist the University's search committee. "Some of the better candidates might not even be considering the position at this time. It's a bit of a dance, a cajoling that goes on [to encourage some people to become candidates]."

Funk addressed the committee to outline how the search will likely unfold during the next several weeks as the pool of candidates builds.

Advertising for the University presidency has appeared in several publications, and a Web site (www.sc.edu/presidentialsearch) dedicated to the search is online. Funk's firm is soliciting additional nominations from about 600 leaders in higher education and will ask for more nominations from the nation's leading higher education associations.

"We've seen in the past 10 years that the size of candidate pools for university presidencies has dropped somewhat," Funk said. "We're now seeing about 40 to 60 active candidates--people who are qualified and interested--in a typical search."

Once the full list of candidates is developed for Carolina's presidency, each member of the University's search committee will be asked to list his or her top six to eight candidates. Search committee members will have access to a proprietary database with resumes and other information about each candidate.

"Usually, four or five candidates are on everyone's list, and two to four are on a majority of the lists," Funk said. "Other candidates might be advocated by one or two [search committee members]."

That shorter list of 10 to 15 candidates will be asked for references, which will be vetted by committee members. The group will be further narrowed to about eight for off-campus face-to-face interviews.

"Something very visceral happens at this point," Funk said. "You've probably only met [the candidates] through resumes up to that point."

A series of one-and-a-half hour interviews with each candidate will likely be held over a two-day period. Based on the results of those interviews, the field of candidates will be reduced to a short list of three to five finalists, Funk said. The finalists will be asked to sign releases that allow the search committee to conduct credit and other background checks as well as contact non-directed references.

S.C. Freedom of Information law requires public universities in the state to disclose the names of finalists for all positions.

"This can be difficult for sitting presidents--a little less so for provosts--who are finalists," Funk said. "The reality of having to go public [as a candidate] can cause someone to withdraw."

Mack Whittle, a search committee member and University trustee, asked Funk about the board's strategic plan for Carolina.

"Does our strategic plan need more articulation? Do we have in place what we need?" he asked.

"Candidates want to know if you have one, how far you are with it, and if there is room for them to put their mark on it," Funk said, adding that the University's current strategic plan was adequate. "Candidates always want to know what a board wants, what the funding climate is like within the state, and how intrusive or supportive a board is."

The Presidential Candidate Search Committee is scheduled to meet again in early May and early June.

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