The possibility of campus visits for CSUN presidential candidates has been moved from January to the beginning of the week of March 12 because the search for a new president has been extended 90 days.

“None of the process has changed at all,” said Steven Stepanek, advisory committee member and department chair of computer science.

The Trustees Committee for the Selection of the President, comprised of six board members, will decide whether or not candidates will be required to visit CSUN, Stepanek said, and it would be a situation where either all or none are required to visit.

“No decision has been made,” Stepanek said. “A decision won’t be made until we know who the last finalists are.”

If the committee does decide campus visits are necessary, each candidate would be on campus for about one day each, allowing them time to tour the campus and speak with faculty, staff and students, Stepanek said.

The visits would also include meetings with Associated Students, faculty senate and possibly an open forum with faculty, staff and community members. Students would also be informed, and able to participate, in the open forums, Stepanek said.

By late February the list of potential presidents will likely be narrowed down between three or four serious candidates, Stepanek said, and the possible visits would be one of the last steps before candidates are presented to the full board of trustees for a final presentation and selection in a closed meeting March 20 in Long Beach.

Before the search was extended, the initial plan was to have final candidates presented to the board of trustees Jan. 24, but both the advisory and trustees committee felt it wasn’t enough time to build a deep pool of candidates.

“The initial timeline was pretty aggressive,” A.S. President Amanda Flavin said. “(The CSU) wanted to get (the search) out of the way as soon as possible.”

Until a president is selected, Vice President of Student Affairs William Watkins, also a member of the advisory committee, said there has been no indication from CSU Chancellor Charles Reed about who will become CSUN’s interim president after Jolene Koester steps down.

“The range of possibilities is not narrow, quite frankly,” Watkins said. “We haven’t heard anything from (Reed).”