A Presidential Search Committee is expected to recommend Dr. Robert Knott become the 20th president of Catawba College.

A reliable source close to the college told The Post Knott was the committee’s choice after the college announced that the committee had endorsed one of two finalists.

Catawba’s Board of Trustees still has the final say and is scheduled to consider the committee’s recommendation Wednesday.

When it comes to decision making, Knott has “all the stake holders participating in a very democratic way,” said Dr. George Peery, political science professor and incoming vice chair of faculty at Mars Hill College, where Knott served as chancellor until January. “He has served this institution well, and he will serve Catawba well.

“... I knew he would be scarfed up by somebody very, very soon.”

Retiring Catawba President Fred Corriher made it clear early this morning that “we strongly object” to the release of any information about the recommendation which will be made to the board of trustees next Wednesday.

The search committee, he said, only makes a recommendation.

The meeting of the Catawba board of trustees will determine who the president is, he said.

“And it’s unfair to both candidates to have that speculation raised before the trustees meet because they’re the only ones who have the authority to make the appointment.”

Catawba, he added, has “a seven-day requirement on our board meeting. Only in case of emergency can we call a meeting without that. It’s not whim. It’s in the by-laws.

‘That’s the only comment we have. It’s not a done deal. It’s unfair speculation to say anything else.”

James G. Whitton, chairman of the search committee and one of nine trustees on the committee, echoed the final role of the trustees.

“We don’t have a new president until next Wednesday,” he said. “The board of trustees doesn’t have to accept the search committee’s report though I’d be surprised if they don’t.”

For the most part, other members of the staff and faculty declined to comment, though Carl Girelli, chairman of the Faculty Senate and a member search committee, said he thinks “our recommended candidate will be very well received.

“Without violating the confidentiality of the process,” he said, “I can say that we on the search committee are extremely pleased with the candidates that we brought into the process. We’re confident that our recommendation to the board will usher in a bright new era for Catawba College.

“... Regardless of what the search committee recommends, the final say rests with the board.”

Tonia Black-Gold, chief communications officer for the college, is not a member of the search committee or privy to its recommendations.

“This is going to require board approval,” she said, “so regardless of what the search committee recommends, the final say rests with the board of trustees.”

She has met both candidates, but, she says, “all the people in the Catawba community who took time out to meet these candidates have an opinion, but I’m not willing to share mine because it would not be on behalf of the college and that’s who I’m speaking for.”

Others contacted indicated that they don’t know who the search committee plans to recommend.

“I have never asked,” one said, “because I have to trust what they’re doing.”

“We have not been told,” another said.

And many said simply, “I have no comment.”

Last week the college announced the committee narrowed the list to two finalists: Dr. Daniel Rodas, Assistant Vice-President for Administration at Duke University and Knott, chancellor of Mars Hill College until Jan. 24.

Knott, who originally joined the Catawba staff in 1982 as vice president of academic affairs, led Catawba through a self-study and reorganization of the faculty from all departments into schools and divisions.

Under his directions, the faculty revised and strengthened the curriculum, developing the freshman studies program, “Educare,” which has received national attention attention in education circles.

He later was named provost and dean and coordinated campus operations, including academic, athletic and student life programs, as well as the physical plant and academic budgets.

He also served a brief period as acting president when Steve Wurster underwent open heart surgery in 1987. He was the natural choice to spell Wurster at that time, the college felt.

He served as president of Tusculum College in Greenville, Tenn., for eight years prior to becoming chancellor at Mars Hill College. At Mars Hill, he served as chief operating officer responsible for all programs and personnel of the college. During his term as chancellor, he led the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools reaccreditation process, administered a new three-school structure and recruited and appointed deans, coordinated the process for strategic planning of activities development, secured a $10-million bond to initiate renovation of facilities and coordinated planning and adoption of a new General Studies Curriculum, securing a $400,000 grant for its implementation.

He received the Golden Circle Award, which is bestowed by the faculty and staff of Mars Hill in May 2001.

Knott resigned from Mars Hill College Jan. 24 causing an uproar from students.

“I wish the board had been smarter and wiser to keep him on,” said former colleague Peery, now interim vice chairman of the faculty.

After the faculty organized against then President Max Lennon, Knott became the “sacrificial lamb,” according to Peery.

As many institutional leaders do in such situations, Knott was not involved in the faculty move against the president, Peery said.

“As the honorable man that he is, Bob had a standing letter of resignation,” Peery said. If the board felt he was not serving the college well, they could act on it.

And in late January, they did.

Peery said there has never been official word as to why the board accepted Knott’s resignation, other than wanting a fresh start.

Minutes after the announcement of Interim President Dan Lunsford’s appointment, 150 students marched from The Quad to protest the decision by the board’s executive committee to accept Knott’s resignation, according to an article by Mar Hill’s student newspaper, The Hill Top. Students marched to the front lawn of Knott’s house where, according to the article, he fought back tears and addressed the crowd.

Peery describes Knott as an administrator in touch with the students. “He was very visible and supportive.”

Last weekend, when the girl’s basketball team won the South Atlantic Region — allowing them to advance to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division II Women’s Tournament — Knott was there talking with players and students.

An official at Mars Hill said Knott was teaching a religion and philosophy class this morning and could not be reached for comment.

Peery and Knott were both appointed to the college the same year. Peery said they arrived together as “green and new professors” in the summer of 1969.

Peery is glad to see his colleague of 30 years nominated for the position at Catawba. “He’s amazingly collaborative,” Peery said.

Knott and his wife, Brenda Sue Harris, have two children, Andrea Knott Brewer and Robert Knott Jr.

Contact Jillian McCartney at 704-797-4253 or jmccartney@salisburypost.com  or Rose Post at 704-797-7251 or rpost@salisburypost.com .