Candidates for the position of director for Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity and Women’s Resource Center are seeing what it’s like at Kent State.

The position has been open since Ann Penn left in March for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said LuEtt Hanson, associate dean of the College of Communication and Information and search committee chair. She said there are three candidates they are considering presently.

“We need someone with experience in equal opportunity and Affirmative Action,” she said. “Kent State is large. It’s not an entry-level position.”

The three candidates are Kenneth White, Vicki Brinkmann and Tina Myles. Each candidate visits the campus for day-long interviews with university and student groups and associations, Hanson said.

White, the affirmative action director at Minnesota State University, was on campus Monday. Brinkmann, a human resources consultant, was here yesterday. Myles, a Cleveland-area attorney, is on campus today.

Each would have to meet with groups, such as the Affirmative Action Office, the Women’s Resource Center staff, Student Ombuds, Pan-African Faculty and Staff Association and others. Each group has half an hour to an hour to ask the candidates questions and answer any questions they have.

Brinkmann, who has worked in employee recruitment and Affirmative Action offices through her past consulting and managing positions, said the Women’s Resource Center’s pairing with the Affirmative Action Office is one of the things that attracted her to Kent State.

“I see a lot of opportunities for programs and outreach,” she said.

She met with Dean of Student Ombuds Greg Jarvie in one of the interviews to talk about diversity.

“Affirmative Action has grown – branched out to more diversity,” Brinkmann said. “It’s more of a recognition of seeing where different people’s background can fit together in a positive way.”

Student organizations have the opportunity to meet the candidates and ask them questions, Hanson said. For the past two days, no students have shown up, she said.

Though there are three candidates at the moment, Hanson said the committee is still taking applications for the position. There is no date set for the decision. She said Carolyn Pizzuto, vice president of human resources, will make the final decision, taking into consideration her own interviews and the comments from others interviews.

For student leaders interested in speaking with Myles, the time slot today is 4 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in room 122 in the Library.

Contact minority affairs reporter Bryan Wroten at [email protected].