WWU board of trustees selects provost, executive vice president Randhawa as preferred candidate

Oregon State University’s provost has been named as the preferred candidate as president of Western Washington University.

Randhawa, who was named OSU’s provost and executive vice president in 2005, has been scheduled for a Monday and Tuesday visit as the preferred candidate to be the next president of the university located in Bellingham, Washington, according to a release from the WWU website.

Karen Lee, WWU board of trustees chair, drafted the letter outlining the board’s choice to choose Randhawa as their preferred presidential candidate.

“This past Tuesday the Board of Trustees and the Presidential Search Advisory Committee (PSAC) announced that Sabah Randhawa, the provost and executive vice president at Oregon State University, has been selected as the preferred candidate to be the 14th President of Western,” Lee wrote in the letter.

The Associated Press reports that Randhawa would replace outgoing president Bruce Shepard.

Information on the University of Nebraska website has also mentioned Randhawa as a finalist for UNL chancellor earlier this year, which included three other finalists.

The provost’s current responsibilities at OSU have included implementation of the university’s long-term strategic plan and management of various academic colleges across campus, according the OSU website.

Steve Clark, vice president of university relations and marketing at OSU, said it’s typically not unusual for someone in an administrative position at a university to retire or take positions elsewhere.

“Oregon State has been very fortunate to have the long tenure of President Ray and long tenure of Sabah as provost,” Clark said. “It’s rather unusual for that duration to occur.”

In the event that Randhawa is offered the position, OSU will then go through a process of implementing an interim provost and executive vice president through a committee search or appointment from OSU President Ed Ray, Clark added.

The search for a permanent provost candidate would come later in the form of a national search.

Typically a national search would take as long as, if you will, a year for that next person to start their employment at OSU,” Clark said.

More information on Randhawa as a WWU selection can be found at presidentdesignate.wwu.edu.

[email protected]