The first forums for the associate dean of student affairs for Central Michigan University will start this week.

Dr. Robert Satonik, associate director of residency at Synergy Medical Education Alliance in Saginaw, will start the forums from 1:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. Wednesday in the Bovee University Center Lake Huron Room. He will be the first of three different finalists coming in the next three weeks.

The other finalists are: Stephen Peterson, an associate professor of Community Health and
aassistant dean for student Affairs and admissions at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, and Mala R. Chinoy, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology and professor of pediatrics, Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, Pa.

Peterson’s forum will take place at 1:30 p.m. Feb. 16 in the UC’s Lake Huron Room, and Chinoy’s will take place at 1:30 p.m. Feb. 22 in the UC’s Terrace Room C.

Bruce Roscoe, dean of students and chairman of the search committee for the medical school associate dean of student affairs, said the forum will be open to the public and he said he hopes people come ready to both ask questions and answer some too.

“I hope it’s a give and take. Hopefully he has an opportunity to pose some questions as well,” Roscoe said.

The dean of the medical school hasn’t been decided yet, though it was offered to current Interim Medical School Dean Cam Enarson. Enarson declined the position because of family reasons in mid-January.

Roscoe said the reason the forums are already starting for the position before a dean of the school has been found is because the finalists for the associate dean of student affairs decided.

“I can’t speak for others, but ours was so far underway,” he said. “We had already identified the top people and extended invites.”

He said after the forums are over it will be up to Interim Provost Gary Shapiro to decide who will be hired but said even if a finalist is decided they may wait until a dean of the school is found to hire them.

“I suspect the top candidate wants to talk to who would be there boss,” Roscoe said. “(I’m) sensing they want to wait to meet with the dean before committing themselves.”

Check cm-life.com for more updates.

E-mail the author: Eric Dresden