Selection of a President

8.1 In the selection of a president for the university, the members of the Board of Trustees, the faculty, the students, the supportive professional staff, the operating staff, and all other members of the university community are vitally concerned. Accordingly, when a search for a new president has been authorized, it shall be conducted by a university search committee composed as follows:

• the executive secretary of the University Council; 
• one tenured faculty member from each degree-granting college and the university libraries; 
• three additional tenured faculty members from the degree-granting colleges, apportioned so as to reflect in so far as possible the ratio between the number of regular full-time faculty members in each college to the total number of faculty members in all colleges used in the most recent apportionment of faculty seats on the University Council; 
• two undergraduate students selected by the Student Association; 
• one graduate student selected by the student members of the Graduate Council in consultation with the graduate student members of the Student Association Senate; 
• one operating staff member selected by the Operating Staff Council; 
• one supportive professional staff member selected by the Supportive Professional Staff Council; 
• and one alumni representative selected by the Northern Illinois University Alumni Association. 

8.2 All groups selecting members shall make a special effort to include an appropriate representation of women and minority group members among their nominees. Each degree-granting college shall submit a list of nominees equal to the number of its designated representatives plus two. The Faculty Senate shall choose the apportioned number of nominees from each college list. In so doing, the Senate shall seek to achieve appropriate representation of women and minority group faculty members on the committee.

8.3 When the search committee as selected in accordance with sections 8.1 and 8.2 above does not contain an elected faculty representative who is a woman or who is a member of a minority racial group, the elected faculty representatives shall meet and elect such representatives. The persons thus elected shall be chosen from among the faculty members of the university who are eligible for election to the search committee. Prior to conducting such an election, the elected faculty representatives on the search committee shall seek nominations for this position from the college faculties, and shall elect one of the persons thus nominated.

8.4 The search committee shall adopt procedures enabling appropriate representative constituencies to participate in the interview process. The search shall be coordinated on campus, the university providing space and support personnel.