The 25-member Advisory Council to the University of Tennessee Presidential
Search Committee met in Nashville on December 12th to complete Phase I of a
five-phase screening methodology to be implemented in screening candidates
for President.  The Advisory Council screened candidates for President, all
of whom were nominated through the search Web site or position advertisement.

A dual-track screening methodology is being implemented, with candidates
nominated through the Web site or position advertisement being screened by
the Advisory Council, and candidates recruited from the field being
screened by the search firm, Korn/Ferry International.  The semi-finalists
from each pool will be consolidated in mid-January, with the search
finalists being screened by the Search Committee of the Board of Trustees.

Korn/Ferry announced the following candidates selected by the Advisory
Council from the Web and position advertisement pool after an intense
critique of qualifications and skills.  These candidates will move to Phase
II of the process, with the final candidates for President emerging in
mid-January.
1.      Dr. Guy Bailey, Provost and Vice-President for Academic Affairs,
The University of Texas, San Antonio

2.      Dr. Steven Lehmkuhle, Vice-President for Academic Affairs,
University of Missouri System

3.      Dr. Stanley R. Liberty, Provost and Vice-president for Academic
Affairs, Bradley University

4.      Dr. C. Warren Neel, Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of
Finance and Administration

5.      Dr. Marlene I. Strathe, Vice-President for Academic Affairs and
Provost, University of Northern Colorado

The Advisory Council will review these semi-finalists further through
reference checks, Lexis/Nexis background checks and interviews in early
January. The Advisory Council will recommend the top candidates from this
pool to the Search Consultant in mid-January.

The Search Consultant is currently recruiting candidates from across the
country and, in Phase III, will come forward with three to five candidates
from the recruitment pool to combine with the Web and position
advertisement pool.  A triad, composed of the Search Consultant, the
Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees and the Chair of the Advisory Council,
will narrow the combined six to ten candidates received from the two pools
to a final three to five to be forwarded to the Board Search Committee.

In Phase IV the Search Committee will evaluate and interview the three to
five finalists and will recommend the name of one candidate to the Board of
Trustees. In the final phase of the process, the new President will be
appointed by the Board of Trustees in mid-February and will take office
July 15, 2002.

Since the beginning of this process, the main objective has been to conduct
an inclusive search with proven methodology that provides objectivity in
the recruitment and screening of candidates .  The Advisory Council members
have carried  out their work in a diligent and credible
manner.  The  members of the Board of Trustees look forward to a
progressive and successful search resulting in a new leader, not only for
the University of Tennessee but for our state as well.