The first open forum for Central Michigan University’s presidential search will be at 4 p.m. today in the Bovee University Center Lake Michigan Room.

“It’s basically an opportunity for members of the university community to give input as to what they would like to see in the next president of the university,” said Director of Media Relations Steve Smith.

A computer program will allow those off-campus to watch it online, Smith said, and people also will be able to type in questions for a moderator to ask at the gathering.

At a meeting of the Board of Trustees on Thursday, Vice Chairwoman Stephanie Comai said the presidential screening committee will seek feedback from the campus community.

“This is one of the most important decisions the Board of Trustees makes,” Comai said. “I can’t emphasize enough how seriously I take this.”

A Web site dedicated to the search launched Friday at cmich.edu/presidentialsearch. An e-mail address for the search firm is available for those who want to send questions or comments throughout the process.

“We really, really want to hear from people,” Comai said.

From the open forumsj, committee members will gather information to create a leadership profile for a presidential candidate, Comai said.

The profile then will be given to the search firm Storbeck/Pimentel & Associates, LLC and submitted to several professional publications for review.

The search firm will accept applications for the presidency until Oct. 1, Comai said.

“I am not concerned that we will have a wonderful pool of candidates,” she said. “This is a wonderful opportunity for someone.”

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E-mail the author: Heidi Fenton