CARBONDALE, Ill. (AP) - The Southern Illinois University system is about to get a new president.
The university’s board of trustees is set to announce its appointee Monday afternoon during a meeting in Edwardsville. The new president will replace soon-to-retire Glenn Poshard, who announced last July he plans to step down at the end of June, even though his contract expires in 2015.
The university has not released the list of the five finalists for Poshard’s job.
The board’s chairman, Randal Thomas, tells the Belleville News-Democrat that nearly 100 people applied for the position.
Poshard is a former Illinois state senator, congressman and gubernatorial candidate who was named to the position and 2005 and began presiding over Southern Illinois University’s system in 2006.
He tells The Southern Illinoisan that the replacement was chosen ahead of schedule. The schools hired a search firm to screen candidates and trustees have said they hoped to have a finalist selected in the spring.
“They are way ahead of their timeline, so (the board) must be really satisfied they found the right candidate,” Poshard said. “I’m assuming between now and when the new president takes office we’ll help this person make a smooth transition and help them any way we can.”
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