The strongest candidates for Penn State's next president are those serving in that capacity or as "number two man" at other major universities, said J. Lloyd Huck, chairman of the Trustee Presidential Selection Committee.

The Presidential Search and Screen Committee is scheduled to submit a list of five to 10 candidates to replace retiring University President Bryce Jordan by March 1. Jordan is scheduled to retire Aug. 31.

The search and screen committee has reviewed nearly all of the 159 nominees submitted as of Friday, said committee chairman Thomas Merritt. However, members need more detailed information before they can review about 15 of those nominees, he said.

Until January, when Penn State's Executive Vice President and Provost William C. Richardson accepted the presidency of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, he was considered the leading candidate for the position here.

A major quality the selection committee is seeking is experience with a large, land-grant institution, Huck said.

"He would have to be someone who understands the goals of a land-grant university," he said.

Merritt said another quality which must be considered is sensitivity toward and awareness of the concerns of underrepresented groups.

Although Huck said the next president may be a woman or a member of an underrepresented group, he added that he could not comment on the chances of either until he had reviewed the list compiled by the search committee.

Merritt said he was uncertain of how many minority nominees the search committee reviewed because "it's hard to tell from a resume," but said some women have been nominated.

After submitting the list of candidates, the search committee, made up of faculty, staff and students, will probably remain involved with the selection process, Huck said.

However, he said he was uncertain whether candidates would be willing to undergo interviews with both committees. The selection committee will see how the candidates receive the idea, he said.

"Most of the candidates we're looking at have excellent positions now and they're going to be careful," he said.

Estela Bensimon, assistant professor and research associate at the Center for the Study of Higher Education, said the search for a new president gives the University a chance to examine not only its goal of diversity, but all of its objectives for the future.

"It's a very good opportunity for a university to evaluate itself . . . and examine its mission," she said.

But narrowly looking for specific qualities can hinder a presidential search, Bensimon said.

"It's very difficult for a search committee to come up with set criteria. . . . Leadership is not a science," she said.

However, Merritt said the search and screen committee has met with the trustee selection committee and they have outlined certain qualities to seek in presidential candidates. Among those is balance, he said.

"The next president must have a balanced perspective of the University and its needs," he said.

The University must find someone with experience in and understanding of Penn State's dedication to both undergraduate education and research, Merritt said. The individual must also understand the ideals of public higher education.

Bensimon, too, stressed the need for balance. She said the multiple constituencies of a university -- faculty, staff and students -- have different needs and expectations. Therefore a university president must have political and negotiating skills, she said.

Huck agreed the next president could not cater to a certain group.

"In the final analysis the candidate we choose will be the one seems most capable of running the entire University," he said.

A new president should be chosen by the time Jordan retires, Huck said. After the search and screen committee submits its list of candidates, the selection committee will contact each of them to schedule interviews, he said.