Search committee for next CMED dean still in the works


Nearly two weeks have passed since founding Central Michigan University College of Medicine dean Ernie Yoder resigned from the position. Meanwhile, university administrators are still in the process of charging a search committee to find his replacement.

Provost Michael Gealt said he hopes to have the committee and a third-party search firm assembled by the end of next week.

“I am working on a letter right now that is set to go out to these (potential committee members) asking for their help with this search,” Gealt said. “Some people have already verbally agreed, but we want to make sure we have actual confirmation.”

Gealt’s list of potential committee members includes 20 people, each bringing something unique to the search.

“This is an incredibly important search,” Gealt said. “We will have folks from the medical college over in Saginaw as well as leaders in the medical field out there, too. We want to make sure we get a student voice on that committee, as well.”

On his list of qualities he’s searching for in a new CMED dean, the provost mentioned good financial management skills  as one of the most essential qualities the future dean must bring to the college.

“We really need someone who is grounded in the finance and administration of the university,” he said. “We sort of expected that there would be some sort of financial hit. But colleges of medicine across the country have financial issues. There are multiple forms of revenue for (CMED) where as in CCFA, for example, the major stream that comes in there are the tuition dollars.”

Interim dean Linda Perkowski has been working closely with Gealt to assemble to search committee as quickly and effectively as possible, Gealt said.

Perkowski is out of the office until Monday, according to her office voice mail.

In the meantime, the college will focus on locating a candidate that has experience both in the education of physicians and the complicated accreditation process.

“We need (a dean) that has significant experience in a variety of areas,” Gealt said. “This will be someone that is already in the administration of a medical college right now. It’s hard if not impossible to find a person who is experienced in both areas.”

Check back with cm-life.com for more on this story.

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