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MU searches to replace Norman

Dave Matthews

The race to find Richard Norman's replacement as Miami University's senior vice president for finance and business services and treasurer is in its beginning stages, according to search committee chair Karen Schilling, as a consulting firm brought in by the university is conducting a preliminary search for applicants.

Many students may not know who he is, but Richard Norman has a daily impact on much of the daily life at Miami University.

Watch the hockey game at the Goggin Ice Center this weekend? He manages and provides oversight on the arena.

Chowed down at a dining hall?

Same deal.

Open a letter from Roudebush Hall asking for tuition? He determines how that money gets spent.

And after eight years of serving these tasks and more, Norman is retiring effective Dec. 31-and leaving Oxford with some large shoes to fill.

"He's done a stellar job; he's been a really good leader," said Adolph Haislar, the current interim senior associate vice president for finance and business services. "He's been a good mentor to me."

Upon news of Norman's retirement in August, Miami formed a search committee to find his replacement, chaired by Karen Schilling, the dean of the College of Arts and Science, who is currently working with a consulting firm to bring Norman's long-term successor on campus as soon as possible.

"The search committee has a broadly extensive list (of backgrounds the committee members come from)," Schilling said. "We want somebody who understands financial modeling, is comfortable in the role and understands the values of the university."

Haislar said the search begins with the consulting firm and the search committee finding potential applicants across the country and then narrowing the pool down to 10-15 for phone interviewing.

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The field would then be narrowed down to about four "primary candidates" who would be interviewed on campus before a successor would be named.

According to Schilling, the search committee is currently awaiting whatever the consulting firm brings back in their preliminary search. Both Haislar and Schilling expect the new vice president to be on campus around March.

In addition to the duties listed above, Norman's successor will also have a seat on President Hodge's executive committee and would report directly to Hodge.

Haislar said Norman is a crucial member of the university because of his creative ways of working with people, creating a leadership program that strengthened communication between the workers in finance and business services.

Schilling agreed that Norman did an "exceptional job."

"If one thing's clear, he brings both an understanding of the university with financial affairs," she said.

Prior to being the vice president for finance, Norman spent 11 years at Rutgers University and three years at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio serving similar finance-related roles. He also taught at the junior high school level in the Houston Independent School District in the late 1960s.