The hunt for the new dean of the University of Wisconsin-Fond du Lac continues as the search and screen committee has narrowed the choices down to four applicants.

Whittled down from the initial 70 applicants, four remain to fill the position vacated by former Dean Daniel Blankenship. He left the position to move on and become the vice president of Cardinal Stritch University, said search and screen committee Chair Paisley Harris. Since then, Judy Goldsmith, who served as dean prior to Blankenship’s term, has taken the position temporarily, Harris added.

“[Goldsmith] knows the campus and community well and was able to step into position gracefully,” Harris said.

The position of a dean requires aiding students with academic programs, fundraising, supporting research and community service and is typically held for five to 10 years, said UW Colleges Director of Human Resources Pam Dollard.

“We had a fairly diverse pool of applicants — most were U.S. citizens, only a few local applicants, but some had grown up in other countries and had a strong international background,” Harris said.

Harris mentioned the initial 70 candidates applying for the position were more than usual, with around 50 being the median number of applicants in the past.

The 70 applicants were narrowed down to six, who then completed 75 minutes of video interviews, Harris added. The final four applicants will be brought to the Fond du Lac campus and are given the opportunity to interact with faculty, staff and students.

After becoming acquainted with the campus, the finalists will head to Madison to meet with Chancellor of UW Colleges David Wilson and other administrative personnel. With the feedback and recommendations made from the Fond du Lac community, the chancellor is left to make a final decision, which then must gain Board of Regents approval.

“Our campuses pride themselves on working closely with students and so I am looking for a dean who puts students first,” Wilson said.

Wilson also mentioned he looks for a candidate with experience at a college or university level who is able to work well in collaborating decisions with others.

Wilson said he hopes to reach his final decision by the end of November and to have a new dean in place by spring 2010.