MSU sent out its final public update on the presidential search until the official announcement Feb. 7. In this update, Trustees and co-chairs of the Presidential Search Committee Dianne Byrum and Melanie Foster said the committee had assembled a diverse pool of candidates for consideration.

It was decided in the fall of 2018 that the presidential search would be closed to the public in order to “draw the strongest pool of candidates.”

Several members of the university community — including Reclaim MSU, survivors of Larry Nassar's sexual abuse and the James Madison College Student Senate — expressed concern with the search being closed.

Byrum and Foster, however, said they have tried to make the process as transparent as possible. 

Throughout the search process, the presidential search committee conducted more than 22 input sessions, compiled notes from these sessions and used them to evaluate candidates. 

According to the presidential search timeline, interviews with candidates have taken place this month. The next step in the process is for the Board of Trustees to choose and vote on — and for the committee to announce — who the university’s permanent president will be.

Byrum has previously said she hopes the chosen candidate will start working as MSU’s president by June or at the start of July. 

A livestream of the meeting will be available online on the Board of Trustees website.

Like previous board meetings, participants and observers are not permitted to take signs into the meeting.

Stay with The State News for more updates and for coverage of the upcoming meeting.