Four candidates to replace Bob Bruininks as University of Minnesota President have been submitted to the Board of Regents as semi-finalists. 

The announcement came Friday afternoon and although the names are still private, they could be made public as soon as next weekâÄôs regents meeting, where the board hopes to select finalists, executive secretary Ann Cieslak said.

The board intends to appoint the new president before the end of the calendar year, according to a statement.

The regents will first review written files on each of the candidates and then select finalists to be invited to campus for public interviews, Cieslak said.

A 12-member search advisory committee, formed in June, selected the four candidates from a pool of hundreds of applicants.

University President Bob Bruininks is set to step down June 30. His successor will be the University’s 16th president.