The University Senate discussed the preferred candidate for university president and called for a special meeting to discuss the candidate after several forums at its meeting today.

University Senate Chair Kate Hudepohl discussed the candidate during her report to the senate. Hudepohl said she was contacted by Julia McDonald, assistant to the president, and she was told the university senate would have the opportunity to meet with the preferred candidate Tim Caboni next Wednesday.

“I felt like even though I was a little taken aback by the rushed nature…I still feel like it’s an opportunity,” Hudepohl said.

Hudepohl said she didn’t “know what the point is,” but still felt like it was “an opportunity to meet him.”

Mac McKerral, journalism professor, spoke before the Board of Regents last semester in favor of an open presidential search. At the University Senate meeting, McKerral said he felt by continuing with a closed search, the Board of Regents had created a “template” that “will be followed for a long time.”

“I think the difficult thing, the challenge that we face, is that how much do we want to blame the new guy, rather than blame the old guys?” McKerral asked.

At the end of the meeting, a new order of business was introduced by Douglas Smith, sociology department head. Smith was serving as an alternate for senator Jerry Daday.

Smith motioned the university senate meet in a special called meeting next Thursday, “to discuss the presumptive candidate.”

The motion passed, with the majority of senators saying they would be in attendance at the special called meeting. Hudepohl said she would work to find a space and time for next Thursday for the special called meeting.

Student Regent Jay Todd Richey, in his report to the University Senate, said he was “extremely proud of the quality of candidate that we got.”

“I would have infinitely preferred, personally, this to be open,” Richey said of the presidential search.

Richey also encouraged senators to attend the meetings next week and the faculty forums with Caboni in order to meet him.

“I hope you all will give Dr. Caboni a chance,” Richey said. “He’s excited to meet you all.”