Coastal Carolina University's Board of Trustees voted to invite the four finalists for the position of president of the institution back to campus on Thursday, Jan. 11 for individual interviews with the board. The board also voted to expand the pool of candidates to include Edgar Dyer, university counsel and vice president of university relations at Coastal. A decision is expected to be made at the board's regular meeting on Friday, Jan. 12.

Meetings and interviews for Dyer are scheduled beginning Wednesday, Dec. 13 through Friday, Dec. 15. The public is invited to attend open sessions.

Dyer has been a member of Coastal's political science faculty since 1976. He was the first recipient of the HTC Teacher-Scholar Lecturer Award and has also received the Distinguished Teaching Award, the Student Development Award, and he is an honorary inductee of the CCU Athletic Hall of Fame. He has a variety of scholarly publications in the areas of land use law, state and local government, academic freedom and African-American history. He has also been interim dean of the Thomas W. and Robin W. Edwards College of Humanities and Fine Arts, interim athletic director, and executive director of the Coastal Educational Foundation.

The other finalists are: Kyle R. Carter, Ph.D., provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at Western Carolina University; David A. DeCenzo, Ph.D., provost and senior vice president of academic administration at Coastal Carolina University; Sue DeWine, Ph.D., provost of Marietta College; and Maurice William Scherrens, Ed.D., senior vice president at George Mason University. The following public meetings are scheduled:

Wednesday

-- 6 to 7:30 p.m. - Reception with local legislators, local mayors, Horry County Council, board of trustee members, Horry County Higher Education Commission, Board of Visitors of each college, various committees and community groups. Wall Boardroom anteroom

-- 7:30 p.m. - Dinner with Coastal Educational Foundation and Board of Trustees, Wall Boardroom

Thursday

-- 10:15 a.m. - Meet with academic administration, Wall Boardroom

-- 11:30 a.m. - Meet with athletic director and staff, Wall Boardroom

-- 12:35 p.m. - Lunch with students and student leaders, the Commons

-- 2 p.m. - Open meeting with faculty, Brooks Hospitality Suite

-- 3 p.m. - Open meeting with classified staff, Brooks Hospitality Suite

Friday

-- 8 a.m. - Breakfast with donors, community and business leaders, Wall Boardroom

-- 9:20 a.m. - Meeting with search committee, Edwards 164

-- 11:15 a.m. - Open meeting with public and college community, Brooks Hospitality Suite

A 12-person advisory committee has been working since May to identify a successor for Ronald R. Ingle, who will retire June 30, 2007, after a 14-year tenure as president. The original candidate pool had 76 applicants.

The advisory committee is a group representing a broad base of campus constituencies. The committee reviews applications, interviews candidates and identifies those to be interviewed by the university's board of trustees. The board and the advisory committee are assisted by the search firm Greenwood and Associates Inc. of Miramar Beach, Fla.

Complete information and schedules for the presidential candidates is on Coastal's Web site at www.coastal.edu/presidentialsearch.