A full house packed the Southeastern Louisiana University Alumni Center in Hammond Tuesday afternoon as the search for a new school president officially kicked off.
Faculty members, students and several Tangipahoa Parish business leaders told the Search Committee what they should look for in a new president.

One of the first speakers was Hammond insurance agent Doug Johnson. "I would encourage you, to make certain that whoever we choose is grounded in business because the president of Southeastern Louisiana University leads the Florida Parishes in business," he said.

University of Louisiana Board of Supervisors Chairperson Elsie Burkhalter said, "There's a tie at Southeastern, a very, very strong tie between the business community and this university, so I think the business community is going to have a great influence on the selection process."

Burkhalter has one of seven votes on the Search Committee.  She says the committee's goal is to name a new president in early 2009, but she says they're not married to that timetable.
Several leading members of the current Southeastern faculty came to the public hearing to make sure the board knows what they want in their next president.  "Someone who has an established academic, publishing record, extensive teaching experience.  Someone's going to have to have that in order to command the respect of the faculty.  We can't have a politician or a bureaucrat taking over the presidency of this university," said Southeastern Mathematics Professor Dr. Alan Cannon.

Southeastern history professor Dr. Bill Robison added, "The University is in a stronger position now than it's ever been in.  Faculty and student morale are at an all-time high."  Dr. Robison, and several of his colleagues, expressed their support for the man currently in charge.  When Dr. Randy Moffett resigned to become President of the University of Louisiana System, Dr. John Crain took over as interim president.

If he applies, Dr. Moffett says Dr. Crain will be a candidate.  But he says, the search is wide open, "The board is very committed to finding the best candidate.  And we wouldn't say whether that's an inside person or an outside person, we want to find the right fit, the right mixture of background, experience and qualifications."

That process is now officially underway.