Washington State University may be days away from hiring its next president, but no one outside the university’s Board of Regents or top administrators know who the top candidate is.

The regents are scheduled to meet at 4 p.m. Feb. 6 in Pullman and are expected to discuss a potential contract for an individual who has only been identified as Candidate B, according to a release. The public may attend in-person or remotely, as well as sign up to provide public comment.

Board Chair Lisa Keohokalole Schauer was authorized by the regents to enter into negotiations with Candidate B during the board’s January meeting in Seattle.

Current President Kirk Schulz will retire at the end of June and the university began conducting its search for his successor in April 2024. Once selected, the new president would start their tenure in July.

No information about the candidates for the position has been released throughout the search process. Candidate confidentiality was identified by the university as a priority of the search “while making every effort to ensure that the search process is transparent, open, inclusive, and equitable, with multiple opportunities for input from the entire university community.”