The search for a dean of the Carle-Illinois College of Medicine will begin in October, the University announced Wednesday.

According to a University press release, the committee will aim to have a founding dean selected by spring 2016. The committee will be composed of 17 members — seven representatives each for the Carle Health System and the University and three external members including a local health care community leader.

Committee members were chosen as based on their “depth of expertise” in their own field, leadership at Carle, Illiniois and within the community and their past search experience, according to the release.

“(The committee will be) looking for a candidate with extremely strong collaborative leadership skills,” said Matthew Gibb, Carle Health System’s chief medical officer.

Additionally, Gibb said the dean should be someone of “national prominence” who can help recruit “excellent” faculty.

The founding dean will also serve as the chief academic officer of the college. Gibb said the chief academic officer is responsible for overseeing the translational activity between biomedical engineering and traditional medicine among other tasks.

Robin Kaler, campus spokeswoman, said once a dean is chosen the “first order of business” is establishing job requirements; the committee is not yet sure what exactly they’re looking for in a candidate. Regardless, she said external nominations are encouraged.

Once a dean is established Kaler said it will be important to develop a curriculum and hire more faculty,

Gibb said Carle and the University will begin to recruit a chief planner soon who will assist in receiving accreditation for the school and deciding on the curriculum. Following the selection of a dean and chief planner, Gibb said a faculty executive committee will be created to focus on faculty hiring. The committee will be composed of representatives from the University and Carle, Gibb said.

“The dean will be heavily involved with development of curriculum and logistics such as space needs and facility needs,” Kaler said.

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