Fifty-five applications have been received by the committee charged with filling the position Chancellor John Wiley will vacate when he steps down this fall.

The search and screen committee sent applications to 250 nominees for the position, 55 of whom have completed the applications and declared their candidacy. The committee closed its search Thursday at midnight and will not be accepting any more applications.

The committee has already reviewed the 55 applicants, said David Musolf, committee spokesperson and secretary of the faculty at UW.

“I would say that we’re quite satisfied with the pool,” Musolf said. “It’s a good pool.”

UW senior Suchita Shah, a student representative on the search and screen committee, said she is impressed with the number of applicants who are committed to the university and interested in keeping it successful.

The committee will eventually narrow the applicant pool to five finalists. According to Shah, who is also a columnist for The Badger Herald, applicants must be suitable for tenure at the university. The committee also looks for people with a passion for UW and the ability to bring the university forward.

“It’s a long process, and the committee is working diligently, and I think making good progress,” Musolf said.

The committee will choose around 10 applicants to interview, Musolf said. Five applicants will then be chosen from those interviewed.

Once the pool is narrowed to the final five, the search and screen committee will present the list to a special Board of Regents committee, who will interview each candidate further.

“The goal is to deliver a short list of five applicants to the [UW System’s] president and the special regent committee some time in early May, and then have campus visits of those five people before commencement weekend,” Musolf said.

According to Shah, the committee wants to give students, faculty and staff a chance to voice their opinions before they leave for summer. The visit will include student and community forums.

The applicants’ names will not be made public until after the list of five is presented to the Board of Regents. The regents plan to choose the new chancellor June 6.