The presidential search committee has narrowed its list of candidates for Loyola’s presidency to two men, according to committee chairman the Rev. James Bradley, S.J.

The Rev. Kevin Wildes, S.J., and the Rev. Robert Niehoff, S.J., are being considered for the top position at Loyola.

Wildes is associate dean and associate professor of philosophy at Georgetown University. His research is primarily rooted in bioethics. He is also a member of the Loyola University Board of Trustees.

Niehoff is associate provost and vice president for Planning and Budget at the University of San Francisco. His research is in leadership roles, organizational development, finance and private school education.

Bradley said that both candidates already visited Loyola and passed the first step of the selection process. The second step involves returning to the university for a more intimate look.

Town hall forums have been planned for faculty, staff and students to meet the candidates, Bradley said. He said that forums allow those at the university to interview the candidates, and the candidates to interview the people at Loyola.

Wildes was scheduled to participate in a forum yesterday in Nunemaker Auditorium. Niehoff’s forum is scheduled for Tuesday, at 12:30 p.m., also in Nunemaker.

The goal of the search committee is to have a president approved by the Board of Trustees by the end of the academic year. Interim President the Rev. William Byron, S.J., plans to leave Loyola by the end of the summer to return to a funded research project at Loyola College in Baltimore.

Byron said he does not think that his imminent departure will adversely affect the committee’s selection of a fitting president.

In an e-mailed statement, Byron said that he had come to Loyola in its hour of need, and the time he would serve as president had been predetermined. He said he is confident in the committee’s ability to find a fitting replacement.

Wildes is very familiar with Loyola because of his role as a trustee of the university.

“Loyola is a great school, but wants to be better than it is,” Wildes said.

He cited the Strategic Agenda, Loyola’s 10-year, $120 million improvement plan, as an example of the school’s desire for excellence.

“Loyola has had a very hard year,” Wildes said.

He added that the strength of Loyola is evident in the manner in which the school has carried itself throughout the course of the year.

Niehoff said that one of Loyola’s greatest assets is its location.

“Loyola, like USF (University of San Francisco), is a university in the midst of a vibrant city. A great university in the midst of a vibrant city provides a great opportunity for learning and service,” he said.

Niehoff’s research experience in finance and organizational development would greatly aid him in his transition to president,he said, adding that new leaders in any organization are forced to undergo on-the-job training in areas of finance, strategic leadership and planning. His research experience would allow him to move quickly to the next level, he said.

His experience will lead him to “ask the right questions and help create a decision making process that moves beyond the specific, often technical, decisions, toward institutional strategic decisions,” he said.

Both men agree that Loyola must work together in order to be successful.

Wildes said that there will always be controversy in a university setting. But he said that the members of a university must be willing to listen to each other, express their opinions and build a consensus.

Niehoff plans to create leadership process that is inclusive and consultative, he said. He added that this kind of process allows organizations to be more strategic in their goals and choices.

Bradley said that the search committee is currently in the process of checking the candidates’ references.

“At this point in time, they are both very promising candidates,” Bradley said.

According to a mandate by the board of trustees as well as well as the university’s charter, Loyola’s new president must be a Jesuit.

In 1994, the University Faculty Senate passed a resolution to amend the charter and open the presidency to all qualified candidates. The Corporation of Jesuits, chaired by then-President the Rev. James Carter, S.J., did not agree to make the changes. Two months later, the Board of Trustees unanimously approved Bernard Knoth as president.

Knoth served as president until October 2004, when he resigned after charges of sexual misconduct surfaced.

Adam Hennessey can be reached at [email protected].

The Rev. Kevin Wildes, S.J.

University of San Fransisco