UNK chancellor search to last at least into the fall

KEARNEY, Neb. — The search for the next University of Nebraska at Kearney chancellor will be lasting at least several more months.

The detail about the search timeline was the final sentence of a news release Monday announcing Charlie Bicak as the interim chancellor, succeeding the retiring Doug Kristensen. The release says public listening sessions will happen in the fall. The search firm and search committee could take months after that to select a candidate.

The new chancellor will likely serve under Dr. Jeff Gold, currently the priority candidate for NU president. He wants a chancellor who can break down silos between the NU campuses and attract top leaders.

“Obviously, somebody who understands how to keep the trains running on time, and understands true academics, is highly-experienced in recruiting and retaining leadership,” Gold said.

Gold is confident the search will yield quality applicants.

“The good news is, this is a phenomenal campus and I don’t think we’re going to have trouble attracting talent," Gold said. "I’m sure the talent pool for the next chancellor will be quite robust.”

The UNK chancellor search follows last year’s chancellor search at UNL. It overlaps with the selection of a new system president and will likely be followed by a search for a new UNMC chancellor.

It’s all a sharp departure from the stability provided by Kristensen, who stayed in his post for 22 years. During the transition, he’s issuing a message of calm.

“Change brings uncertainty and people are uncertain what’s going to happen, how’s it going to happen. That will all go away," Kristensen said. "We’re going to get certainty. We’re going to get back on a very positive track, I think, for the university as a whole.”