LA GRANDE — Eastern Oregon University is launching its search for a new president.

The EOU Board of Trustees on Wednesday, Jan. 25, voted to give Summit Search Solutions, an Ashville, North Carolina, firm Eastern hired to recruit presidential candidates, the green light it needs to begin contacting individuals it believes might be a good fit for the school.

The board voted to approve a presidential profile, salary range and a list of what the next president’s duties and responsibilities will be.

The approval of all three means that Summit can start its search for candidates and encourage them to apply, which it did on Jan. 26, when it began posting announcements about the open position on multiple websites.

Eastern is seeking a successor to Tom Insko, who stepped down in August after a seven-year tenure as president to become the chief executive officer at Collins, a wood products company based in Wilsonville.

The salary range listed for the school’s president position is between $275,000 on the low end and $350,000 at the upper end of the scale. Eastern will be providing compensation higher than the salaries of universities of comparable size in Idaho, Montana and Eastern Washington, according to Chris McLaughlin, EOU’s human resources director.

McLaughlin said it is good to have a wide salary range to work with because it will give the university more flexibility when negotiating a salary with potential hires.

Insko had an annual salary of $278,904 during his last year at Eastern, according to the university.

The average salary of a university president in Oregon was $317,298 as of Dec. 27, 2022, according to the website salary.com.

Information on the university’s website indicates that presidents at Oregon’s other five public universities are receiving the following estimated salaries: Southern Oregon University, $293,000; Western Oregon University, $340,008; Oregon Institute of Technology, $423,000; Oregon State University, $423,000; the University of Oregon, $738,000; and Portland State University, $401,700.

Candidates will be introduced to EOU through a presidential profile approved by the board. The presidential profile was prepared by Summit Search Solutions.

The profile provides an overview of the university, including information on its history, degree programs, faculty and students.

The profile also lists financial stability, a talented faculty and a strong statewide reputation among the school’s many strengths — and it lists the challenges EOU faces, such as enrollment.

“EOU needs to grow,” the profile states.

The presidential profile outlines campus enrollment has been declining but that its online enrollment has been stable. EOU, according to fall enrollment statistics listed in the report, has 2,674 students, 1,507 of which are full-time students. A little more than half of the school’s students are online.

The profile also contains extensive information on the background and abilities EOU’s next president will be expected to have.

“EOU’s next president will demonstrate strong leadership credentials including a record of leading a complex institution,” the presidential profile reads.

Dick Merriman, senior consultant for Summit Search Solutions, pointed out that the profile is not meant to be used as a public relations tool.

“The profile is for the candidates,” he said.

The deadline for submitting applications for the president’s position is March 12.

A timeline for the search, approved by the board of trustees earlier, calls for the school to name its next president in May and for the individual to start in the position on July 1.