Posted on Oct 25, 2005


An announcement of a new president for Union College is “imminent,” according to a source within the college. 


The college is expected to make an announcement as early as today. College trustees met over the weekend to discuss the credentials of three finalists, the latest step in a search that began with the January retirement of longtime President Roger Hull. 


Union created a 12-member committee to lead the presidential search and in March hired a professional search firm, Academic Search Consultation Service, according to its Web site. 


The committee narrowed an initial field of 60 applicants to eight by late August, and began interviews in September. In late September, three finalists were chosen, each of whom was invited to the campus for a two-day series of meetings, interviews, and social events in early October, the Web site says.


Frank Messa, chairman of the committee, has listed regular updates of the committee's activities on the Web, but no list of candidate names has been made available.


Hull, who retired after 15 years as president of Union, was heavily engaged in the fortunes of the city outside of the college boundary.


He was a leader in the creation of the Metroplex Development Authority, which uses a portion of the county sales tax to fund economic revitalization, and he helped channel college resources toward improvement of the neighborhood west of the college by developing a package of Union-funded initiatives, including buying and renovating 20 homes along Seward Place.


During his tenure, the college thrived. Applications for admissions rose 50 percent. The endowment per student nearly tripled, and nearly 60 percent of freshmen at the college were within the top 10 percent of their high school classes.


Hull encouraged study abroad, and in 2001 nearly 70 percent of Union students took part in some study outside national borders during their college careers.


The college also landed the largest gift in its history, $20 million donated by John and Jane Wold, in 2002.


Last year the college launched its new Minerva House system, grouping students in “houses” with encouragement to organize academic and social events.