The Presidential Search Committee held a meeting Monday in which the current finalists for university president were interviewed by the Weber State University Committee.

According to Cameron Martin, associate commissioner for economic development at the Utah System of Higher Education,the interviews will continue in future meetings. Once the interviews are over, the committee will choose people to recommend to the Board of Regents, which will then announce three names to the public.

The names of the candidates will not be revealed until that time. The number of candidates being interviewed will also not be revealed, because the board does not want people wondering why someone might have dropped out of the running, if that occurs. People have dropped out before because of family reasons or because they decided to stay at their current jobs.

Martin said he hopes to have the president chosen by the end of the semester. When the president is chosen, Martin said he or she might not be able to start immediately.

“It’s all driven by their current position,” he said. “They may have an obligation they want to see through to the end.”

The committee that selects these candidates is made up of members of the community.

“They are selected because they represent a voice,” Martin said.

When looking for a new president, the committee looks for certain things. It wants to make sure the candidate is a good fit for the university. Some of the skills Martin said the new president should have is the ability to create relationships with the deans of the colleges and talk with governors, and a great sense of student life.

If none of the candidates are a good fit, the search will continue.

“I’m optimistic,” Martin said. “We have a strong pool.”

This will not be the last meeting; there will be more interviews with the candidates in the future.