MAKING HER CASE — Indiana University Southeast Interim Chancellor Kelly Ryan, one of four finalists for West Liberty University president, talks to students and faculty Monday afternoon. -- Derek Redd

WEST LIBERTY — Indiana University Southeast Interim Chancellor Kelly Ryan was struck not only with the beauty of West Liberty University’s campus, but by the people who make up its faculty, staff and student body. Depending on how her visit — and the visit of three others during the next two weeks — she could soon be back to stay as the university’s new president.

Ryan was the first of four finalists to visit campus for interviews in hopes of becoming WLU’s next president. Tim Borchers, vice president for academic affairs at Peru State College in Nebraska, follows with a visit today through Friday. Robert T. Smith, provost and vice president for academic affairs at Valdosta State University in Georgia, visits Sunday through Tuesday. David Christiansen, chancellor of Penn State York, visits Tuesday through April 27.

Ryan arrived Sunday evening and spent the day Monday visiting with different constituencies around the university. She said she was impressed by the energy she saw from so many people working to make the WLU experience a good one.

“Everyone I’ve met today is really hustling to create opportunity on this campus,” she said, “and to transform a university that is already incredibly solid. So I’m pretty excited about what I’m hearing.”

On Monday afternoon, she held fort in a meeting room at WLU’s College Union, fielding questions from students, faculty and others about concerns including residence halls, support for Greek organizations and simply why she was interested in the job.

In that, Ryan said she was heartened by what the university said it wants to be, a positive impact on society.

“I come from a friendly space,” she said. “I don’t want to go somewhere where everyone is miserable.

“What I’m interested in is moving forward,” Ryan added.

Ryan was asked what type of president she would be, whether she’d be one students and faculty could approach or would those people take those issues to someone else to be funneled to her. Ryan said that an effective leader for the university would be one that is both “here and there.” That person would be an advocate for the university to the public, engaging with those people away from campus. But that person would also be engaged with what is happening on campus.

The president won’t be able to answer every question, she said, but “when an issue rises to my level, I’ll definitely step in.”

As Ryan talked to different groups on campus, she said that, from what she heard, the university was looking for a collaborative leader. That’s something she certainly feels she is.

“I’m also a person with a lot of experience and ingenuity in higher education,” she said. “And I’ve just shared with them some of my ideas around where I think the university could go, particularly around community engagement. I’m very deeply interested in making sure that this community is really integrated into the communities it surrounds and serves.”

Thomas Cervone, a member of the WLU Board of Governors who served as the chair of the presidential search committee, said the committee was happy to start heading down the home stretch to picking a new president. Since last year, the committee has worked with a search firm, whittled a candidate pool of almost 60 down to eight virtual interviews and down again to four finalists.

Cervone feels that all four, each in their own way, could be effective leaders for the university. Among the key components the committee is looking for from all four finalists is the ability to galvanize the campus and get every group that calls WLU home to move forward in one unit.

Cervone admitted that, after the controversies during former President W. Franklin Evans’ tenure, the campus needs repaired in some ways. During his two years as president, Evans admitted to plagiarizing several speeches and was subject to a faculty survey that showed deep distrust in both his leadership ability and personal integrity.

Cervone said one of these four finalists will have to lead those repairs.

“Someone who could come in and eliminate the doubt and regain the trust of the university,” he said. “Someone who understands that it is mission critical to bring the campus together and unite behind the mission of this institution, which is first and foremost, to educate students to send them out and make this world a better place to live in.

“So someone who is authentic, someone who is genuine, someone who is bright and someone who is energetic,” Cervone continued. “Because this is a 24/7 job. You’re living on campus. So you need to be comfortable walking out your front door and running into a student and saying, yeah, how’re you doing? We’re doing great.”