UCF wants to have a new president confirmed by the state Board of Governors by the end of next month and wants to begin the vetting process this week, the university said Monday.

  • UCF announces timetable for new president's confirmation
  • Committee hopes to begin interviews later this month
  • Presentations by chosen finalists will be open to the public

A search committee formed to vet candidates says the process by which the new president will be confirmed aims to identify up to 10 semifinalists for the position by Thursday, Feb. 15.

The following week, the committee hopes to interview them and invite three to five to campus.

From March 1-8, the committee hopes to bring the finalists in for two-day interviews, which will include presentations by the finalists that will be open to the public.

The committee aims to have the UCF Board of Trustees interview and choose the president-elect by March 9, and have the Florida Board of Governors interview and confirm the president-elect the last week of March.

UCF President John Hitt announced his retirement in October 2017, effective June 30. Hitt began his tenure March 1, 1992.

"Our committee promised a comprehensive, transparent and inclusive search, and we are delivering on that promise," said David Walsh, a member of the UCF Board of Trustees and chairman of the Presidential Search Committee. "Now it's time for us to start our most important task: identifying the best candidates to succeed President Hitt."