The Eastern Iowa Community Colleges District (EICCD) Board voted to delay interviewing finalists for chancellor during a special meeting Saturday, April 2.
Board members also agreed to reschedule public forums that were set to begin Monday, April 4.
Two finalists had been announced recently and public forums had been scheduled through Wednesday, April 6.
“This decision is not a reflection on our interest in the two recommended finalists; we remain committed to fully considering these two exceptional professionals,” EICCD Board of Trustees President Robert H. Gallagher said in a news release.
“However, in order to ensure the board completes its full due diligence, we have decided to extend the search to consider additional final candidates,” added Mr. Gallagher who also heads the chancellor search committee. “Quite simply, for a decision of this importance, we want to consider a larger slate of candidates.”
The new chancellor expected to be selected after the process is complete will take over for current Chancellor Don Doucette who will retire in July after serving EICCD for more than a decade.
EICCD is developing a schedule for reopening the search and reconvening the search committee, it said in the release. The search committee is composed of college faculty, staff and students, as well as the general public. The Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) also is assisting in the national search.
“The board’s No. 1 priority is to make the best choice for EICC, its students and employees, and our communities,” Mr. Gallagher said. “We are grateful to the Chancellor Search Committee for the thoughtful consideration and significant time they’ve invested, and we look forward to a successful completion of the chancellor search process.”
For more information on the search process, visit eicc.edu/chancellor.
