WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. — The West Liberty University Board of Governors has established a Presidential Search Committee to find the university’s next president.
On Tuesday, the board met and approved the committee that will include all 12 board members and representatives from the faculty, alumni, staff, and student body. Board of Governors chairman Rich Lucas said there could be one or two more additions by the next meeting in October.
Created in accordance with the WLU Board of Governors Presidential Search and Selection policy, the committee makeup and process also follows the guidelines set by the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission.
The establishment of the committee comes following the board’s decision in August to not to extend the contract of current President W. Franklin Evans. On August 17, a motion to extend Evans’ contract from Jan. 1, 2023, and ending Dec. 31, 2023 was rejected with an 8-4 vote.
Evans was named West Liberty’s 37th president and the first African-American in that role in Nov. 2020 and received a two-year contract.
The board members on the search committee includes Lucas, Jack Adams, Ryan Glanville, Richard Carter, Michael Baker, Jason Metz, Arlene Brantley, Jamie Evick, Sydney Burkle, and Stephanie Shaw. Board member Tom Cervone will chair the search and board member David H. McKinley will be the vice chair.
Other members selected include: WLU Foundation members Chairman John Dolan (alumnus) and Vice Chairman Dr. Daniel “Dan” Joseph (alumnus), along with Interim Vice President of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management Katie Cooper (staff member).
Also serving as a non-voting, ex-officio member will be Dr. Sarah Tucker, chancellor of the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission. The WVHEPC is expected to vote and approve the new president’s contract once a selection is made, a release said.
The date of the search committee’s first meeting was not announced but will be decided soon. Also discussed by the Board of Governors was the possibility of using a professional search firm.
The national search for WLU’s next leader and applications will be accepted through Nov. 1, per the tentative timeline discussed in Tuesday’s meeting. Evans’ contract expires on Dec. 31.