The university is seeking to fill the dean of students position after it was vacated in May of last year. USI expects to select a candidate this semester.

The position was vacated after former Dean of Students Bryan Rush left to become the Associate Vice President for Campus Living at Auburn University in Alabama.

Associate Professor of Political Science and Public Administration Nicholas LaRowe was appointed as the interim dean of students in early August.

A national search committee for the next dean of students was formed in late May and the position has been posted on the USI website since before the end of last semester.

“The process is the committee will determine who we will bring in for zoom interviews and then they narrow down from that who we will bring on campus,” Vice President for Student Affairs Marcia Kennard Kiessling said.

Two candidates previously interviewed for the job in mid-July, but they never saw fruition.

Kiessling, who will be responsible for hiring the new dean before her retirement in August, said the university will host presentations for the candidates who will be invited to campus and open to the USI community.

The new dean of students will report to the vice president for student affairs and serve as a member of the Provost’s Council and the Student Affairs Directors Team.

The position “enhances the university mission by engaging students in programs and services that help develop responsible, contributing members of a global society,” according to the job posting on USI’s website.

They will oversee the Dean of Students Office (DOSO), Counseling Center, and University Health Center along with chairing the CARE Team and the Eagle Experience Team. They will also be responsible for managing student incidents and Title IX incidents as they also serve as a deputy Title IX coordinator.

Kiessling said positions who work closely with the DOSO will be a part of the interview process as well.

She said a new dean is expected to be chosen sometime in March.