The University of Delaware Board of Trustees will hold a special meeting at 1 p.m. on Nov. 18, to vote on the University’s next president
The meeting, scheduled in the Multipurpose Room of the Trabant University Center, is open to the public.
To view the meeting agenda, click here.
After that time, a series of receptions to meet the newly elected president will be held for all faculty and staff, undergraduate students and graduate students.
Few names of prospective candidates have emerged in the public arena.
That led to some reports of public figures such as Gov. Jack Markell and even Vice President Joe Biden being considered for the post. The Wednesday announcement is likely to put to rest such speculation. Barring a sudden resignation, neither man would be available before 2017.
University officials promised an inclusive process to select the president.
UD operates under a private/public status that allows limited disclosure of information on matters such as presidential selections.
Some states have an entirely open process.
Nancy Targett, the dean of the College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment, has been serving as president following the July departure of Patrick Harker, who now heads the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.
UD, like other universities, has seen reports of racial tensions. A report of a noose-like object spread rapidly on social media, but was later found to be a decoration from a previous event.
The University occupies a unique place in the state, thanks to its land grant status and involvement in areas ranging from agriculture to education and urban affairs.
At the same time, its size in a small state leads to out-of-state enrollment far exceeding the in-state student roster.
Outgoing President Harker was concerned that UD and other institutions of higher education have priced themselves out of the reach of many students. He outlined those thoughts in a column in the Philadelphia Inquirier
That brought an outcry from faculty, who blamed Harker for pushing past tuition hikes and bristled at suggestions that teaching schedules should be increased.
Faculty were also suspicious about his role in a start-up university that has students studying abroad during their academic careers at a cost that is comparable to out-of-state tuition at UD and other institutions.
