Story by Bella Utley, Contributing writer

Diversified Search, an executive search firm, visited Murray State on Friday to meet with Staff Congress, the Student Government Association and interested faculty and staff to learn about the search for the new provost of Murray State.

Diversified Search is the eighth-largest search firm in the United States, and brought consultants from its Atlanta office to meet and discuss views from faculty and staff. Euris Belle, a representative of the firm, said the meeting was necessary  to better adjust the criteria needed for potential provost candidates.

Factors such as experience with performance-based funding, shared governance and ability to relate to interdisciplinary studies all were introduced by faculty and staff at the meeting.

The search firm uses research strategies to find candidates who best fit the educational and personal aspects of the community at Murray State. Their research includes looking at experience levels, comfortability of the area and efficiency.

The firm takes applications, networks and searches nationwide databases in order to find the correct candidates for the position.

Diversified Search representatives emphasized the importance of not just looking at the data, but also the human aspect in order to find a candidate with the best fit for Murray State.

The attractiveness, affordability and collaborative aspects of Murray State are elements that Diversified Search is using in order to attract candidates.

The search firm representatives hope to release names of finalists by mid-to-late April 2017.