Board announces potential cost of search

The UK Board of Trustees has learned the potential cost of the search for the new president.

Board Chairman Britt Brockman said the presidential search could cost UK anywhere from $100,000 to $200,000.

Brockman said the Board learned the numbers after a weekend retreat. He said the retreat was totally focused on the presidential search.

The facilitator of the retreat was Bill Shelton, a consultant for the Association of Governing Boards, Brockman said.

Shelton deferred all questions to Brockman.

Shelton helped talk the Board through the process of finding a new president, Brockman said.

Brockman said Shelton was qualified to help the Board because he was the president of Eastern Michigan University for 11 years.

Shelton helped initiate the process for the Board to recognize attributes they are looking for in the new president, Brockman said.

The Board is in the process of finding a search firm, Brockman said. The cost of the search firm will be one of largest expenses of the presidential search, Brockman said.

“The average cost (for a search firm) of a land-grant institution like ours is in the $150,000 range,” Brockman said.

The budget for the Board to find a new president is at $200,000, but Brockman said it is “way too early in the processs to know (the) final tally.”