USM search committee to host second Town Hall on presidential search
By: Gabriel Donahue, News Editor
The search committee tasked with finding Towson University’s next president will host a virtual Town Hall on Thursday evening to gather more input from the community on what they want in a president.
The committee invites faculty, staff, students and alumni to join the meeting via Zoom at 4 p.m. They will accept feedback regarding “key questions related to the president search,” the search webpage says.
According to an article from the Towerlight, the University System of Maryland uses a five-step process when choosing a president for one of its 12 institutions. This process includes:
- Phase 1: Stakeholder Engagement & Preparation
- Phase 2: Open Application Period & Candidate Screening
- Phase 3: Narrowing the Field
- Phase 4: Recommending Finalists
- Phase 5: Final Selection
In his last Town Hall meeting, University System Chancellor Jay Perman said he hopes to find Towson’s next president before the fall 2023 semester begins.
Kim Schatzel left Towson on Feb. 1 to serve as the 19th president of the University of Louisville, according to her biography on Louisville’s website. Provost Melanie Perreault has been serving as Towson’s interim president since February.
Perman appointed the committee that was announced on Feb. 10. It features people representative of University stakeholders, including USM Regents and Towson faculty and students. Regent Ellen Fish chairs the committee.
The Board of Regents encourages community input via a form on the presidential search webpage.
