CSUN will not have a permanent president in place when classes start in the spring but rather an interim president will be in place until March, according to a CSU press release released Monday.

“After conducting an initial resume review, the campus advisory committee as well as the trustees on the search committee agreed it would be beneficial to extend the process and ensure that we have the largest and most competitive pool possible,” CSU Trustee Bob Linscheid said in the statement.

The CSU campus advisory committee decided on the 90-day postponement during their Dec. 2 meeting, said Liz Chapin, CSU spokeswoman.

“The committee, along with the trustees, decided on the postponement,” Chapin said.  “This is to allow more time for a larger pool of candidates.”

The postponement will allow time for more candidates to apply, although the CSU has no plans to recruit or advertise during this time beyond what has already been done on the CSU website, Chapin said.

The time frame for the postponement may have been scheduled deliberately, Chapin said.

“I am not sure specifics but the time frame most likely has to do with the board of trustees meetings that take place every two months,” Chapin said.

There will be a meeting in January and another in March, when the board plans to announce the new president.

CSUN President Jolene Koester announced in May that she would be retiring in December after serving 11 years as president. The CSU has been searching for a replacement since October.

Chapin said there is no set date for when the board of trustees will announce the choice for interim president and the only firm date is Jan. 20, a closed session where the committee will discuss the candidates.

The January meeting will be used to discuss the candidates and decide who advances to the interview level of the process.  Interviews will be held in February, according to the new time frame.