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Dalgarn withdraws application from VCSA pool

Four candidates remain in hunt for top spot in Student Affairs


UTM media outlets will interview the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs candidates live on WUTM 90.3 FM.

The candidate list, however, has narrowed itself to four people without any further consideration from the search committee.

Dr. Melinda Dalgarn has notified Vice Chancellor Al Hooten that she will no longer seek the vice chancellor position at UTM. Hooten, who chairs the search committee, says that Dalgarn has pursued another employment opportunity.

Dalgarn’s withdrawal from the search process means that UTM will not host a vice chancellor candidate until April 19 when Dr. Deborrah Hebert visits campus. Hebert will be followed by Dr. Gary Gaston on April 20, Dr. Leroy Durant on April 24 and David Belote on April 27. Each of the candidates will have nine appearances on campus, including a meeting with the chancellor, campus and community tours, meeting with the student media, lunch with the chancellor’s staff, meeting with the directors in student affairs, a campus open forum, a meeting with Equity and Diversity Officer Ann Duncan, dinner with the search committee and a meeting with the student open forum.

Faculty, students and community members are invited to attend the campus open forums. Each of these forums will be held at 3 p.m. in the legislative chambers in the UC on the day of the candidate’s visit. The student open forums, sponsored by SGA, will be held each night at 8:30 on the day of the candidate’s visit. The student open forum for Dr. Hebert will be held in Watkins Auditorium. Because of Watkins Auditorium not being available, all of the other student open forums will be held in room 206ABC of the UC.

The Pacer and WUTM will have 20 minute live interviews with each of the candidates. These media outlets plan to ask the candidates what it is that they can contribute to UTM and find out what student affairs experience the candidates would offer. The live interviews will be aired on WUTM 90.3 FM. Hebert and Gaston will be interviewed by The Pacer and WUTM at 11 a.m. on the day of their campus visit. Durant will be interviewed at 4:10 p.m., on the day he visits campus and Belote will interview at 2:30 p.m. on April 27.

Chancellor Nick Dunagan is expected to hear the search committee’s recommendations and select someone to fill the position before the end of the Spring semester.