Today marked the last committee meeting in the search for the second in command to newly-inaugurated president Szymanski. UNF has been functioning without a permanent provost for quite a while now, and has been actively searching for one for what has seemed to be an eternity – most likely for the search committees more so than anyone else.

After cycling through over 100 candidates, the committee landed on four candidates that they felt were fit for the job.

Szymanski hopes to make a decision by next week, but he needed to make sure he had all the feedback and complete reference checks.

The meeting was adjourned following his announcement that he would hope to see the new provost here as soon as possible, but realistically in the summer. The board members then asked him more specifically, if the committee would need to reconvene for the final decision.

Szymanski declined and specified that the final decision is ultimately up to the president and he does not foresee the need for the committee to be involved in the nomination any further.

UNF waits with bated breath as there is still no clear decision for the position of provost.

The finalists are mostly from out of state university systems, with only one from within the Florida education system – Russell Ivy of Florida Atlantic University.

The other three include Beth Ingram from North Dakota, Simon Rhodes from Indiana, and Abbey Zink from Texas.

*UPDATED: 5 p.m.

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