FILE PHOTO/Arizona Daily Wildcat Regent Fred Boice will head over the next three months a presidential search committee to find President Peter Likins' replacement when he retires in 2006.

Tucson regent Boice to lead search for next UA president

A Tucson regent will head the committee responsible for searching for the next university president to replace President Peter Likins when he retires in 2006.

egent Fred Boice, a three-year member of the Arizona Board of Regents, will chair the presidential search committee and select viable candidates for the UA's top position, which the regents must officially appoint.

Regent President Gary Stuart, who will announce the decision today at the regents' meeting in Tempe, said he chose Boice for his intelligence, discipline and relationship with the Tucson community.

A former president of the UA Foundation, Boice also serves on the Board of Trustees for the University Medical Center and is a member of the Advisory Board for the Arizona Health Sciences Center, making him experienced and knowledgeable about university issues, Stuart said.

"His long connection to the UA makes him the natural choice," Stuart said.

As chair of the committee, Boice will have the sole responsibility of selecting members for the committee, drafting a timeline of the presidential search and exclusively managing the search process.

Boice, who will select committee members throughout the next three months, said he is looking for a diverse range of people who have an interest in higher education. The committee will have about 20 members, with the participants predominantly from Tucson, Boice said.

"Anyone can apply," Boice said. "They can call me - my number's in the book."

In 2003, Likins announced his plans to retire when he turns 70 years old in July 2006 after nine years as the UA's 18th president.

The presidential search committee that appointed Likins in 1997 included five regents, seven faculty members, seven members from the community at-large, the student regent from the UA, the UA student body president and another UA student.

The committee members will be finalized by July when they kick off the search for candidates, Boice said.

The search committee meetings will begin early September, followed by open forums in October and November to gather input from faculty, staff and students, according to a press release.

The board anticipates appointing a new president by March 2006.

Boice said his first task is to hire a consultant firm to assist with the search.

The committee's role is to define their expectations for the next president, identify finalists, interview candidates and then recommend a new president for the regents, who will make the final appointment.

In his State of the University address Wednesday, Likins said his successor will come to a university with top faculty, generous benefactors and a diverse student body, coupled with selective admission standards.

Likins said because of the university's strengths, he expects the UA will attract qualified candidates for the presidential position.

However, finding a replacement for the president will be a rigorous process, which could take more than nine months. The search for Arizona State University President Michael Crow in 2002 took nine months and cost $240,000.

Boice said he expects around 125 to 150 candidates to apply for the presidency. The pool will eventually be whittled down to a few finalists, followed by the interviews.

Likins said before he was selected as president he was interviewed for 15 hours.

"This is going to be a very big job. (Boice) will forgive me one day for appointing him," Stuart joked.