By WMBD-TV

NORMAL – Illinois State University is beginning open forums over the next week so the community can meet the four finalists in the race for the university’s next president.

Monday’s forum at the Bone Student Center included the current interim president Dr. Aondover Tarhule. Dr. Tarhule took over as the university’s interim president in February 2023, after Terri Goss Kinzy resigned.

Dr. Tarhule was a former provost and vice president for academic affairs for the university. Some of his accomplishments include securing approval for a new College of Engineering, developing an enrollment management plan, being a part of the creation of a new degree in Data Science, investing in faculty diversity (FDEP) and underrepresented student success initiatives (SOAR) and much more.

At the forum, Dr. Tarhule gave a presentation on why he should be chosen as the next president and what he would do if he was chosen. He said his top priorities is enrollment and student success.

A retired university employee, Sally Pyne, says that’s exactly what he presented today during his speech. “I think his passion is really for the students, for retention of students, for making things for faculty more equitable including part-time faculty and grad students,” she said. “I think he truly hears those concerns and is in a position to address them.”

Kathy Bohn, the chair of ISU’s Board of Trustees, said Dr. Tarhule made the choice to begin the process of being selected as president, permanently. “He made the choice to apply when we decided to do the national search. Throughout the process he did make the final four, the presidential search committee chose him as one of the final four.”

The next forums will be held on Feb. 22, 26, and 29.