Ball State Moving Forward in Search For Next President

Momper will lead the committee and is in his third term on the Ball State board.

Ball State University has detailed the first steps in the process to find its next president. The Board of Trustees says Matt Momper, assistant board secretary, will chair the search committee. The university will also use a search consultant.

Search committee members will include faculty, student, administration, staff and alumni representatives.

Momper has served on the board since 2008 and is president of Fort Wayne-based Momper Insulation. He says "the successful presidential candidate will be an outstanding leader whose skills and vision will enable us to build on our solid foundation and entrepreneurial culture and advance the university. We look forward to receiving input from the campus and public through the open forums."

The university has announced a series of forums next month to discuss sought-after characteristics of the next president. Times and locations of the events, which will take place during the week of April 18, will be announced in the coming days.

Ball State is seeking a successor to Paul Ferguson, who resigned abruptly from the Muncie school in January. Terry King, provost and interim president between the terms of former President Jo Ann Gora, is currently serving as acting president.

The board also approved Ball State’s participation in the upcoming Federal Communications Commission Broadcast Incentive Auction, which would involve the sale of WIBP-TV bandwidth and could net the university millions of dollars. Participation is voluntary and the sale is set for later this year. King says "the decision to participate keeps the university involved in the process on the condition that the best interests of Ball State must be served."