The chancellor of Southern Illinois University Carbondale is the sole finalist in the search for the next president of Northern Arizona University.
The Arizona Board of Regents announced the selection of Rita Cheng Friday during its meeting in Flagstaff. Cheng will be on the NAU campus Thursday from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at Ashurst Auditorium so the NAU and Flagstaff community will have a chance to meet her.
Arizona Public Radio reports Cheng has been offered at tentative contract until the Arizona Board of Regents confirms her appointment.
A 28-member search committee had been evaluating dozens of candidates to succeed John Haegar, who plans to retire when his contract expires in June 2015. Haeger says he'll return to NAU later as a professor in higher education leadership and governance.
In an email Friday morning to all SIU Carbondale employees Cheng says she is proud of all that has been accomplished at SIU Carbondale and is deeply grateful to the entire campus community. Cheng also says she is excited about the exploring the opportunity at Northern Arizona University. In a news release from NAU, Cheng says she is pleased and honored to have the opportunity at Northern Arizona.
Cheng was named Chancellor of SIU Carbondale in November of 2009 and began her tenure on June 1, 2010.
Northern Arizona University has a budget of $460 million and serves more than 26,000 students at campuses across the state and online.
