Academic Search Inc., of Washington, D.C. selected for Montana State University presidential search.

Clay Christian, vice chairman of the Montana Board of Regents http://www.mus.edu/board/BORinfo.asp ,
announced today that Academic Search Inc. http://www.academic-search.com , of Washington, D.C., has been
selected to conduct the search for a new president of Montana State
University http://www.montana.edu/ .

MSU President Geoff Gamble announced his retirement in late March. Gamble,
who has served as MSU’s president since 2000, will remain in office until
his successor is found.

Academic Search has more than 30 years experience in finding university
executives. In the past five years, the firm has completed 245 senior
executive searches. It was the firm used when Gamble was selected as
president.

The firm’s recent clients include: Florida State University, the University
of North Dakota, the University of Arizona, the University of Utah, the
University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the University of Georgia.

Academic Search was chosen through a competitive bidding process overseen by
the Montana Commissioner of Higher Education’s Office and the Montana Board
of Regents. The firm will be paid $75,000, plus expenses, for its services.

The firm will organize the search; prepare recommendations of institutional
needs; recruit a candidate pool; provide background research and assist the
successful candidate’s transition into his or her new job.

"We are very pleased to have a firm of Academic Search’s caliber to help us
with this process," said Clay Christian, who will serve as chair of the MSU
presidential search committee. "Finding new executives is one of the most
important jobs of the Montana Board of Regents. The investment we make in
finding the right person now will bear fruit for years, maybe decades, into
the future for both MSU and the state."

This story can be found on the Web at:
http://www.montana.edu/cpa/news/nwview.php?article=7153&pid=2

***

Regents seek president with an eye on reform

By GAIL SCHONTZLER Chronicle Staff Writer

The man heading up the search for the next Montana State University president says the state Board of Regents hopes to find someone who could bring reform to a system that faces financial challenges.

Board of Regents’ Vice Chair Clayton Christian, a Missoula businessman who chairs the search committee, said Thursday the regents have been discussing the state University System’s financial problems.

“There have been some feelings we need some reform,” Christian said. “We want to find someone thinking about the system.”

Full Story: http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/articles/2009/05/01/news/30prezsearch.txt