After Renu Khator was named USF’s provost on Feb. 9, the official search for a dean of USF’s largest college was next on the new provost’s agenda.

“I met last week with the College of Arts and Sciences faculty advising counsel and the chair steering committee to ask them if they would like to proceed with the search (for a new dean),” Khator said Monday night.

Since it is so late in the year, Khator said she wanted to start the search right away. But she first wants to consult with the counsel and the steering committee before they settled on conducting a search.

Although a search committee has to be arranged, Khator said she hopes to organize one by Wednesday and start the search by Friday.

Khator said the search committee would include, for the most part, faculty members, different department chairs, a graduate student and a community member.

“The (search committee) would have a good representation and would probably not exceed more than 20 members,” Khator said.

The search will be conducted nationwide, and as of now there is no specific timetable with which Khator is working.

“We want to make sure that we find the right person for the position,” Khator said. “I hope the search committee would be proactive in finding (that person) effectively.”

While Khator would be the one who would make the final decision, the committee would be in charge of developing the criteria that the candidates for dean would have to meet, she said.

Kathleen Heide, who has held the position of interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences since last July, will stay in office until the committee Khator organizes finds the most qualified applicant for the position. However, Heide would have the opportunity to be a candidate as well, Khator said.

“It depends if (Heide) is interested (in the position) and if she applies for it,” Khator said.