With past hopes of a new campus chancellor hired by the end of July extinguished with no announcement by the start of August, the appointment of the top campus official remains up in air — but the University could still see its new leader by the time students arrive on campus.

“The bottom line is the vice president/chancellor search is not yet completed,” University Spokesman Tom Hardy said Thursday, adding that this does not mean the campus will not have the chancellor position filled by the beginning of the fall 2011 semester.

Although the board is not scheduled to meet again until Sept. 9, more than two weeks after the start of the fall semester, a special meeting can be called with 48-hours notice to approve whomever President Michael Hogan selects as a permanent replacement for the position Interim Chancellor Robert Easter has filled since November 2009.

Additionally, the President can make an appointment contingent upon Board of Trustees approval at its next scheduled meeting, as was the case with a Springfield official in recent years, Hardy said.

Hardy said because of the options of contingent appointment or calling a special meeting, the situation is “relatively flexible” and the original objective of having Easter replaced by the start of the 2011-12 year should not be impacted by the later-than-expected hire.

“I’ve not heard anything about the appointment being postponed,” Hardy said.

The chancellor search has been reflected by a high-level of confidentiality, with the search being conducted by the executive search firm Isaacson, Miller.

Faculty have been left in the dark about the candidates, with little to no communication about who is being considered or when such an appointment will be announced.

“We’re all just waiting anxiously,” said Joyce Tolliver, associate chair of the faculty senate.