Nicholls Search Committee Narrows List to Three

Nicholls Search Committee Narrows List to Three – Feb 28, 2003

For Immediate Release: February 28, 2003
Contact: Catherine Heitman, 225-342-6950 or 219-0265

THIBODAUX, La. – After interviewing nine candidates, the Nicholls State University Presidential Search Committee narrowed its list to three.

Those three candidates are:

Clifford M. Brock,, President, Bainbridge College, Bainbridge, Ga.

David L. Eisler, Provost, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Weber State University, Ogden, Utah

Stephen Thompson Hulbert, Chancellor, the University of Montana-Western, Dillon, Mont.

The three candidates will travel to Baton Rouge for a final interview on March 27, with the UL System Board possibly naming a new president in its regular board meeting the next day. The committee will conduct the interviews in public session, as they have throughout the process.

UL System Board and presidential search committee member Andre Coudrain made the motion to invite the three candidates back for a second interview. The committee adopted the motion by unanimous consent.

“I’ve participated in many presidential searches and, without qualification, this was the best search we’ve had, as is evidenced by the quality of the nine candidates we attracted,” Coudrain said.

UL System President and Search Committee Chair Sally Clausen called the committee’s task “a pleasant quandary. We had such a high caliber of candidates to choose from.”

Marty Chabert, who serves on the committee from the Nicholls region, thanked community members for their input and commended the committee for making tough decisions on behalf of Nicholls.

“The people we interviewed were thoroughly impressed with Nicholls faculty, students and our way of life in South Louisiana,” Chabert said. “This is something we can be very proud of. We have a gem here.”

Between now and the interviews, the UL System office will conduct additional background and reference checks on each of the candidates.

Nicholls President Donald Ayo announced his retirement in October. The UL System immediately began a national search process to replace him. A 15-member panel of UL System Board members and representatives of Nicholls faculty, students, alumni and community members conducted the search.

Pictures of the candidates and a complete list of Nicholls presidential search committee members, as well as other search information are available on the UL System website at www.ulsystem.net.
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