Slippery Rock University’s presidential search committee will be getting back to work after receiving approval from Karen Whitney, interim chancellor of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education, SRU announced.

The university advertised for the position of president in November and December and received 57 applications by its Dec. 31 deadline, according to the release.

Each committee member agreed to review the applications and submit a list of their top 10 candidates to search consultant JoAnn Gora of AGB Search.

The search committee will meet Friday and will decide which of the candidates it will interview.

The committee conducted a search last year, however, it was extended in October after the SRU council of trustees failed to pass a motion to advance two finalists to the state board of governors for consideration.

Two of the 13 committee members chose to resign and were subsequently replaced after one committee member raised concerns about conflicts of interest.

Former SRU President Cheryl Norton retired in June of last year.