“We’re optimistic that we have a great group that we’re going to interview next week, and we would hope that the search committee can conclude its work that day,’’ James Karam, a UMass trustee and chairman of the search committee, told the Globe.
The next president will oversee a five-campus university system that is endeavoring to boost its prestige while coping with declining state funding.
In recent weeks, the UMass search drew the attention of Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick, who publicly expressed concerns about the fairness of the search.
Days after Patrick stated his views, UMass board of trustees chairman Robert Manning abruptly resigned amid concerns that the search had become too politicized.
