The ongoing, nationwide search for a permanent dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Oakland University has announced the four final candidates for the position.

A committee was formed in the fall of 2012 that is currently working with a search firm called Academic Search. The committee has 12 members and professor of psychology Todd Shackelford is serving as chair.

“Academic Search is also engaged with assisting the current open searches for provost as well as the dean for the School of Business Administration,” said Tamara Jhashi, acting dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

According to the Academic Search guidelines, “A successful candidate will possess an earned doctorate and the credentials necessary for a tenured appointment in a college department at the rank of professor.”

OU is also looking for a candidate that has significant leadership in an academic environment.

The candidates

After narrowing down the applicants,  Kathy Tiemann, James Meernik, John La Duke and Kevin Corcoran have been chosen to participate in the campus visits as part of the search. Their visits are scheduled as follows:

— Meernik, who is a professor of political sciences at the University of North Texas, came to campus March 26-27.

— Tiemann, interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of North Dakota, will be on campus March 28-29.

— Corcoran, a professor in the department of psychological sciences at Northern Kentucky University, will be at OU April 1-2.

— La Duke, dean of the College of Natural and Social Sciences at the University of Nebraska Kearney, will conclude the candidate visits April 4-5.

During their time at OU, the candidates will participate in public presentations that are open to the OU community.

The next step

According to Shackelford, it is very important to get feedback from a wide range of university members.

Each candidate will have a survey which can be completed by OU students and faculty that will be available the morning of each candidate’s visit to OU.

The new dean will assume office July 2013.