The first of six candidates vying for the Millersville University president's job visited campus last week to meet with university officials and the public.

John Anderson, president of Alfred State College in upstate New York, was at Millersville from Tuesday through Thursday for meetings, tours and two open forums.

He is one of the six candidates in the running to replace Francine McNairy, who will retire in January after nine years as president.

Each of the candidates was chosen by a presidential search committee.

The five others will not be named until shortly before they arrive on campus for meetings and tours over the coming weeks, Janet Kacskos, MU spokeswoman, said.

The second candidate is scheduled to be at MU from Tuesday through Thursday. The others have been invited to visit for three days each through Oct. 31, according to the university's presidential search website.

Kacskos said she did not know whether the candidate pool will be thinned to fewer than six people before the committee recommends McNairy's successor.

The board of governors of the State System of Higher Education is scheduled to vote on the president's appointment in mid-November.

Anderson has been president of Alfred State College, a member of the State University of New York system, since 2008. He previously was executive vice president and provost of Hartwick College in Oneonta, N.Y.

Alfred offers 70 majors, ranging from agriculture and engineering technologies to science and the arts, including 52 associate degree programs that emphasize project-based learning, according to its website.

It has 3,600 students and 203 full-time faculty on two campuses.

MU has 8,725 students, including more than 1,000 graduate students, and about 300 full-time faculty. It offers 55 bachelor's degree programs, 62 graduate programs and two associate degree programs, according to its website.

The second candidate for the MU president's position is scheduled to arrive on campus Tuesday night to meet with the presidential search committee. He or she will meet Wednesday with university deans, academic department chairs, faculty and other university officials.

The candidate will participate in two open forums Wednesday and Thursday on the state of college education in the year 2020, Kacskos said. A breakfast meeting with student leaders also is planned.

The remaining candidates will follow a similar schedule of meetings and activities. Participants in each of the sessions will be asked to provide written feedback on each candidate to the search committee.

The detailed schedule of activities is posted on the website millersville.edu/presidenti....

bwallace@lnpnews.com