In an effort to find “the most qualified” person to be USF’s next official provost, a committee leading the nationwide search will meet today.

The meeting will discuss issues regarding the search, such as the identities of the leading applicants, said Stuart Silverman, Dean of the Honors College and head of the search committee.

“There are seven or eight applicants that we would like to look at further,” Silverman said.

Some of the criteria that was advertised for the position in the Sept. 26 Chronicle of Higher Education requires the applicants to at least have a doctorate degree, which would be suitable for assignment as a tenured professor in a department at USF, a record of distinguished scholarship and have significant administrative experience to be considered for the position.

Silverman said the committee has received more than 60 applications for the position, but will not stop receiving applications and will not until a person is chosen for the position. One of the applications is interim provost Renu Khator, who was appointed after former provost S. David Stamps left for health reasons. He will, however, return to the faculty in May.

“We have not eliminated anybody,” Silverman said. “We just want to further look at some specific applicants.”

The search committee, which has about 25 members, includes Colleen S. Kennedy, Dean of the College of Education; Elizabeth Bird, anthropology department chairwoman and Faculty Senate president, and Albert C. Hine, a geological oceanography professor, among others.

The committee will not release the names of applicants who are being considered, Silverman said. However, today’s meeting will discuss several issues regarding the search in addition to the applicants’ names.

“(The committee) will discuss the applicants, trying to agree on a set of questions (to ask the applicants) and trying to set up a schedule to interview the specific applicants,” Silverman said.

Once the committee has evaluated the applicants’ qualifications, it will reduce the list once more and present it to USF President Judy Genshaft who will make the final decision. The meeting will be held today at noon on the fourth floor of the Library and is open to the public.