The search for the University of North Carolina Wilmington’s seventh chancellor continues to make headway after receiving interest from many “qualified candidates,” according to a search process update from the university.

The UNCW Chancellor Search Committee started initial interviews last week and will invite selected candidates to Wilmington for confidential campus visits over the next few weeks, officials said.

The committee will then “reconvene in March to make recommendations to the UNCW Board of Trustees,” according to the committee's latest update, written by Gidget Kidd, chair of the search committee and the UNCW Board of Trustees.

The search for a new chancellor began in October when the university announced the names of the 18 search committee members who are tasked with finding a new chancellor.

This came about a month after the later announced that Chancellor Jose Sartarelli would retire after heading the university for six years.

The goal for the university is to name a new chancellor in time for Sartarelli’s retirement in June.

Coming up in the search process:

• The search committee sends at least three candidate recommendations to the UNCW Board of Trustees in March;
• The trustees vote on candidates to recommend to UNC System President Peter Hans;
• Hans recommends a candidate to the UNC Board of Governors; and
• the UNC Board of Governors ultimately elects the new chancellor.

Hans has previously said he plans to submit his recommendation to the Board of Governors in April or May.

Under the state's Open Meetings Law, the university is able to have closed sessions at its meetings under nine permitted purposes, one which is to “consider the qualifications, competence, performance, character, fitness, conditions of appointment, or conditions of initial employment of an individual public officer or employee or prospective public officer or employee.”

While members outside of a closed meeting session might not know of a chancellor recommendation brought to the board of governors, the final action to appoint an employee must be made in an open meeting.

According to the search update last week, the committee is on track to present a slate to Hans in a "timely manner" for a new chancellor to be named when Sartarelli retires.