Murray State President Bob Davies says the university will continue its search for new Provost candidates, despite naming two finalist candidates earlier this month.
Robert Fischer, Jr. and Mark Anderson made campus visit last week.
In a letter to MSU faculty, staff and students Thursday, Davies says that while both candidates demonstrated "strong leadership ability and outstanding academic credentials," feedback from MSU community members indicated neither candidate was "the right fit for the campus."
"This position is critical to the future of Murray State University and our continued success as an institution of higher learning," said Davies. "As such, we will be working with a nationally-recognized search firm to help us continue the search for this leadership position. I believe it is imperative that we expand our search to include a wider pool of highly-qualified, diverse candidates in order to find the right fit for our institution – the finest place we know."
Renae Duncan will continue to serve as Acting Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs during the search period.
MSU hasn’t had a permanent provost since Jay Morgan left the university summer of 2015. Dean of the College of Business Tim Todd served in the role for several months before Duncan was appointed in March this year.
