OSU Board of Trustees lays out process, timeline to choose school’s new president

Bend resident Kirk Schueler new board president

CORVALLIS, Ore. (KTVZ) – The Oregon State University Board of Trustees on Friday approved a presidential search process to name a new OSU president by the end of May and voted to elect a new board chair and vice chair.

Kirk Schueler of Bend, who has served as board vice chair, was elected to succeed Rani Borkar as board chair. Patty Bedient, who has served as chair of the board’s finance and administration committee, will serve as board vice chair. Schueler is a Bend resident and leads Brooks Resources Corp. Bedient is an OSU graduate and the retired chief financial officer and executive vice president of Weyerhaeuser Co. Board members congratulated and thanked Borkar for her service as a trustee and leadership as board chair.

“Rani’s steady leadership enabled the board to focus on listening, thoughtful discussion and decision- making,” Schueler said. “She ably chaired the board of trustees during one of the most challenging times in the university’s history given the pandemic and presidential transitions.”

The board approved a schedule and process for selecting a new OSU president that is underway with the selection of a search committee and search firm. The search includes the board, search committee and search firm conducting statewide community listening sessions in January to gather stakeholder input on a leadership profile that will inform the criteria for a new president. It is anticipated that the board will consider approving the leadership profile at its Jan. 28, 2022 meeting.

The search process plans for nominations to be solicited and candidates for president to be recruited through mid-February. During late March through early May, the search firm and search committee will evaluate applicants, leading to the search committee selecting and interviewing semifinalists. Due diligence review will be performed on the semifinalists.

In early to mid-May, the search committee will provide feedback and recommendations to the board chair, who will share the committee’s feedback and recommend which semifinalists the board should interview and consider as finalists. The board will determine finalist candidates in an executive session and announce the names of finalists in a public meeting.

In mid- to late-May, finalists will visit OSU in Corvallis; engage in public forums and meetings with university-wide stakeholders, including search committee members; and be interviewed by the board. The board will gather and review community and stakeholder input on candidates.

The search process calls for the board to vote to select a new president at its May 27 public meeting and for the new president to take office in early to mid-July.

In other matters, the board approved spending $5.9 million to replace the videoboard in Reser Stadium. The current videoboard was installed in 2007. Changes in technology have made the videoboard difficult to maintain because replacement components are no longer available.

The new videoboard will measure 40 feet in height by 150 feet in width and will be fully digital. The current video board measures 30 by 150 feet with some of the board showing digital images and the balance of the board portraying fixed images. The new video board will be ready for use during the 2022 football season.

In addition, the project includes enhanced structural support for the board, a new LED video ribbon board on Valley Football Center, which is adjacent to Reser Stadium, and new game clocks. The ribbon board will be able to be used during sports events, and at OSU’s commencement and convocation exercises.

The board also approved a progress report from the Office of Audit, Risk and Compliance; a 2022 work plan for the board’s executive and audit committee; and a 2021 trustee self-assessment survey.

The board heard presentations about the annual compliance and ethics report; the Office of General Counsel’s fiscal year 2021 report; updates on the university’s public safety program; and the all hazards planning report.