Each candidate's name and curriculum vitae will be announced prior to their visit. The forums for each finalist will be held on these dates:

• Finalist No. 1: 12:30-2 p.m., Friday, Aug. 28

• Finalist No. 2: 12:30-2 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 1

• Finalist No. 3: 12:30-2 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 3

• Finalist No. 4: 12:30-2 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 9

Staff, faculty and students are invited to submit questions for the open forum through this online survey. Questions for consideration should be submitted by Aug. 21 at noon.

Stanley said that these suggestions will inform a standard set of questions that the forum moderator will ask each candidate, as they are trying to ask many questions on a wide range of topics as possible.

The CDO search began in January but was paused when the university moved entirely online. At the May 15 Board of Trustees meeting, Stanley announced it would resume. 

Stanley provided an update on the search last week. More than 70 potential candidates were considered during the search, and seven finalists interviewed in late July before narrowing down to four candidates.

This position will be at the level of vice president for the first time in the university’s history, serving in place of the previous senior adviser to the president for diversity position that was most recently held by Paulette Granberry Russell. All responsibilities that fell to Russell will fall to the CDO. Russell left MSU in July. 

The search committee is lead by Dean of the College of Arts and Letters Christopher Long and Senior Vice President of Information Technology and Chief Information Officer Melissa Woo.