FIU presidential finalists to visit campuses this week

MIAMI (April 21, 2009) – The Florida International University Board of Trustees Presidential Search Committee has selected three candidates for campus interviews Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The finalists are Ronald Berkman, Mark Rosenberg and Carlos Santiago.

Santiago

Rosenberg

Berkman

“FIU is fortunate to have terrific finalists for the presidency,” said BOT Chairman David Parker, who also chairs the BOT Presidential Search Committee. “We should feel perfectly comfortable extending an offer to any one of these candidates.”

The full day of interviews took place on Tuesday at Hotel Sofitel, where the five-member BOT Presidential Search Committee spent about 90 minutes with each of the four finalists. The BOT Presidential Search Committee invited Berkman, Rosenberg and Santiago to visit the Biscayne Bay Campus and University Park this week to meet with students, faculty and staff, alumni, business leaders and other members of the greater FIU community. The agenda will be the same each day. Candidates are scheduled as follows: Berkman on Wednesday, Rosenberg on Thursday and Santiago on Friday. After each session, members of the university community who attend will be asked to complete a candidate evaluation form, which will be reviewed and reported to the BOT Search Committee.

This selection was made after days of interviews and deliberations, through which the 26-member Presidential Search Advisory Committee narrowed the list of candidates from 34 to 13. Two of the candidates withdrew from the search, leaving the Advisory Committee to interview 11 of the candidates over two days. On Monday, the Advisory Committee advanced four candidates, who were interviewed on Tuesday.

The process will come to an end on Saturday, when BOT Search Committee meets at University Park to discuss feedback on the finalists and select up to two to recommend to the full board.

The full Board of Trustees is scheduled to meet on Saturday, April 25 at 11:30 a.m. in the Graham Center Ballrooms, FIU-University Park. A new university president is expected to be announced at that meeting. The new president, who will need to be confirmed by the Florida Board of Governors, will succeed Modesto A. Maidique, who is stepping down after serving as President of FIU for 23 years.

You may find more information on the search, including the position description and detailed timeline of events, at the official presidential search site.

Questions or comments to the BOT search committee should be submitted to trustees@fiu.edu.

Questions or comments regarding the process should be directed to Senior Vice President Vivian Sanchez, vivian.sanchez@fiu.edu. 305-348-2101.

Media inquiries should go to Media Relations Director Maydel Santana-Bravo, santanam@fiu.edu, 305-348-1555.

– FIU –