Outgoing Portland State President Dan Bernstine may not be replaced until early 2008, according to members of the Oregon University System (OUS) selection committee charged with finding the new president.
James Francesconi, chair of the selection committee, said that the committee members will include at least one student and one faculty member from PSU. The members for the committee will be announced later this week.
While the selection process is underway, Francesconi said an interim president should be appointed soon after Bernstine leaves on June 16. A specific date has not been set for an interim president to start.
OUS board secretary Ryan Hagemann said that the selection process for an interim president has not yet begun, but he expects it to be underway soon.
“Often interim presidents are not chosen until after the current president has departed,” Hagemann said. “That is not unusual in Oregon or across the country.”
Bernstine gave notice in April that he would be leaving Portland State June 16 for a new position as president and CEO of the Law School Admissions Council in Newtown, Pa.
Although the date of Bernstine’s departure is quickly approaching, Francesconi said that his committee is more concerned with choosing the right candidate than on making a quick decision. Francesconi said there could be a replacement for Bernstine in about seven to nine months.
“We want to make sure this is done right,” Francesconi said. “We want to carefully consider not just who’s on the committee, but also how the process is done.”
An outside firm will initially conduct a national search for Portland State’s new president, Francesconi said. The position will be advertised in the Journal of Higher Education, and applicant selections will be narrowed down by the firm over the next 30 to 60 days, he said.
In the next three to five months, Francesconi said, the committee will then consider a shorter list of applicants.
Francesconi said he is looking for the new president to carry on Bernstine’s legacy of community engagement and increasing Portland State’s presence within the city, the state and the nation.
The decision of who will ultimately replace Bernstine would be made by the selection committee, because of the strong ties the members have to PSU and the community, according to Francesconi.
“This is among the most inclusive processes I’ve ever been a part of,” Francesconi said.
OUS President Henry Lorenzen spoke highly of Francesconi’s work since becoming a member in February of 2007, referencing his historical understanding of PSU’s role within the city of Portland.
“He’s taken on this role with a great deal of vigor and enthusiasm,” Lorenzen said. “He is going to do a tremendous job heading up this committee.”
OUS Chancellor George Pernsteiner selected Francesconi in late February to head the selection committee.
Lindsay Desrochers, the current vice president of Finance and Administration at Portland State, declined to comment on the record about the possibility of her filling the president or interim president position. Desrochers said it would be up to Pernsteiner to appoint the interim president.
Desrochers was the favorite among staff and students for the president’s position in 1997, when the position was given to Bernstine. Before 1995, Desrochers was the PSU vice president of Finance and Administration.
Desrochers left PSU in 1995 to work as senior vice chancellor for capital resources and treasurer of the Board of Regents at the University of Georgia. In 2000, she took a job as vice chancellor of administration at the University of California at Merced.
Desrochers returned to PSU in January 2006. She said that interim presidents are usually not considered for permanent positions.
Francesconi also would not comment on who the interim president might be.