By Kristina Goetz
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The search committee charged with screening candidates for University of Cincinnati's next president hopes the top official can be introduced by the time classes start next fall.

Eleven members of the 13-person committee that will look for a successor for Joseph Steger - who will retire in June - met for their first public meeting Thursday.

On the agenda: selecting an executive search firm, developing a job description and signing a code of ethics.

"We're here to get input from all of UC's constituencies for a new president," said Jeff Wyler, committee chairman. "The idea is to take this university from where it is as a darn good university to a great place."

The non deliberative group, which will only make recommendations to UC's Board of Trustees, hopes to have a search firm and job description in place by the end of January.

Four search firms have already contacted the university unsolicited. They are: Atlanta-based Heidrich & Struggles, Washington, D.C.-based Academic Search Consultation Service, Washington, D.C.-based Korn/Ferry International and Massachusetts-based Witt/Kieffer.

"We can't do much of anything before we get the search firm," Mr. Wyler said. "But I want to move that along."

Committee member Karen Gould, dean of the McMicken College of Arts and Sciences, will be in charge of writing a job description for the official who will lead a complex institution that is the largest employer in the city.

"We want to review candidates in March and April and have face-to-face interviews in May and June," Mr. Wyler said, adding that finalists likely will be invited back in June and July with recommendations to the board to come in August.

Meetings with faculty and staff may be held in coming months for more input, Mr. Wyler said.

E-mail kgoetz@enquirer.com