WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. — The national search for the 37th president of West Liberty University has been reopened.
West Liberty University (WLU) announced on Thursday that one of the two finalists to replace the retiring Dr. Stephen Greiner on the hilltop withdrew his candidacy in recent days in a ‘surprising move.’
“Due to the decision by one of our two finalists to withdraw from the Presidential Search process at the last minute, we feel that it is best to extend the search and reopen it on a national level today (Thursday),” said Rich Lucas, chairman of WLU’s Board of Governors and chair of the 2020 Presidential Search Committee in a statement.
Lucas said Dr. Robert Colvin, the vice provost for undergraduate education at Christopher Newport University, in Newport News, Va., withdrew shortly before a scheduled meeting of the Board of Governors on Wednesday.
Colvin cited “personal reasons,” Lucas told MetroNews. Colvin had already gone on a visit to campus, which according to Lucas went well.
“I think the campus visit and staying here, he was very applauding of our campus, the university, the financial condition of the university. So I am virtually certain it was something in his personal life that said ‘I can’t accept that position if they offer it to me,'” Lucas said.
The remaining finalist was Dr. Brian Crawford, who has worked at WLU for more than 20 years and serves as provost. He previously was acting president for three months in 2014 and is the former dean of the College of Liberal Arts.
Six candidates were invited to visit campus in the spring months but the visits were canceled due to COVID-19. Lucas said of those six finalists, three got presidential positions at other universities and one stayed at their current position, leaving WLU with Colvin and Crawford.
Lucas said Crawford and all the candidates from the original field of 70 that were announced in February have the chance to re-enter the national search.
“It was just too thin of a field for what the board of governors thought was a thorough search,” Lucas said. “If the candidates themselves narrowed it down to one via withdraw, via finding other opportunities, we want to open the search back up to widen the field.”
In the meantime, Greiner has agreed to stay on as president until Thanksgiving, Nov. 26, Lucas said. The last official day of the fall semester is scheduled for Nov. 24. Final exams will be online and are scheduled for Nov. 28 to Dec. 4, allowing students to remain at home after Thanksgiving break.
Greiner had already extended his stay once in March due to the search being suspended because of COVID-19. The Weirton native who has been on campus for six years had anticipated retirement in June.
“He has made a big sacrifice,” Lucas said of Greiner. “The board of governors has thanked him tremendously. He is making personal sacrifices in his retirement and we are all very proud of him and happy that he is staying on.”
Lucas said the board will announce a new timeline soon but hopes to have its next president by the spring semester. He said WLU will be able to keep the same search committee, already has approval from the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission to move forward and has national publications ready to go, to make the search quicker.
“We are looking for a leader, we are looking for community outreach, we are looking for a student-focused,” Lucas said. “Our candidates were all educators which is awesome. Our candidates said ‘We all love teaching students, we love the academic atmosphere.”
West Liberty began its 183rd year of existence in Ohio County on Aug. 15. with conducting classes in-seat, online, and in a mixed or hybrid fashion, due to the pandemic.