The USF presidential search committee announced this month its plans to move forward with a new search firm in its pursuit of a new university president. 

In May, USF spokesperson Althea Johnson told The Oracle that USF would move forward with its presidential search after its initial search firm — SP&A Executive Search — finished working with the University of Florida. 

However, UF restarted its search after the Board of Governors rejected Santa J. Ono — the sole presidential finalist at the school — on June 3, according to the Associated Press.

In a June 20 update, Mike Griffin, USF’s Board of Trustees vice chair and presidential search committee chair, said USF will instead work with Korn Ferry. 

Johnson did not provide The Oracle with a specific answer as to why USF changed presidential search firms. 

“Sometimes consultants change and you move forward in the process,” she said.

With the next search committee meeting not scheduled until August, some USF professors said they expect a longer — but more transparent — process.

Related: How the USF community can have a voice in presidential search 

USF President Rhea Law announced her plans to step down in February, and the presidential search committee was put together shortly thereafter. 

But before this month’s update, the last message from the presidential search committee was posted on February 25. The only meeting held by the committee was on March 27.

Casey Frechette, an associate professor of journalism and digital communication, said he feels the search went into “hibernation” for a couple of months. 

“It feels like we’ve been in neutral for a little while, and now the car is going to start moving down the track,” Frechette said. 

Frechette said he was expecting more updates in the spring semester, but said the overall communication has been reasonable as things began to “kick into gear” for the fall. 

“I had the impression, based on the initial communication, that things were going to be moving on a pretty fast timetable,” Frechette said. “It felt like President Law was leaving sooner rather than later.”

Law’s contract is effective until March 30, 2026, or until a new president is installed at the university, according to the BOG. 

Related: USF BOT extends Rhea Law’s contract until new president steps in

USF had utilized the “woman- and minority-owned” firm SP&A in its last presidential search, which resulted in Law’s appointment in 2022, according to an Oracle article. 

Still, this is not the first time Korn Ferry has helped USF with an executive hire.

In 2021, Korn Ferry worked with USF and Tampa General Hospital to find a leader for USF Tampa General Physicians, according to the Tampa Bay Business Journal. 

And although USF’s current presidential search has been marked by a period of silence, Frechette said that having some “extra” time to find the next president could be advantageous. 

“It puts us in the position to be a little more methodical in the process that [would not] be possible in other situations where a decision needs to be made on a faster timetable,” he said. 

The update also stated that the university will release a survey for the USF community to “offer input” on the search process. 

Frechette said that by listening to community voices, the search committee will have the opportunity to address people’s needs and concerns more comprehensively.

Brendan Cook, an associate professor of humanities and cultural studies, said he is looking forward to the survey and sees it as a “key point” of transparency.

“I think it’s a good step [for communication],” Cook said. “The real test is going to be when we have candidates.”

Related: USF’s future leadership unclear as bills to limit governor’s role are delayed 

Cook said the survey could open more opportunities for faculty, students and staff to give input on the search as it continues. 

“It’s a very complicated process, because it’s such an important one,” Cook said. “It’s one where a lot of different points of view have to be considered, so I completely understand why it can often move very slowly.”

Frechette said the “most important thing” for the committee to do is to follow through on the promise of open dialogue and interaction throughout the search. 

“[It’s important] people aren’t being shut down, but they’re given a chance to express what they’re seeing, what their concerns are and that there’s opportunity for reflection in the process,” Frechette said.