photo by: Journal-World File

A sign at the entrance to Haskell Indian Nations University is shown Friday, Aug. 5, 2016.

An acting president has been chosen for Haskell Indian Nations University after its interim president experienced a medical emergency last month.

Haskell administrator and instructor Jim Rains is currently serving as acting president of the university while interim president Daniel Wildcat recovers from a medical emergency, Stephen Prue, executive assistant to the president, told the Journal-World. Haskell is unable to share any information related to the medical emergency because it is personal information, Prue said. In a statement on social media, the university said that the emergency occurred Feb. 16 and that Wildcat had quick access to medical care.

Wildcat has worked at Haskell for more than 30 years and began serving as interim president in November 2018 after the departure of Venida Chenault, who left to work on special assignment for the Bureau of Indian Education just days after a federal investigation of misconduct allegations at Haskell became public. In March 2019, the BIE announced that Chenault would not be returning to her position after five years leading Haskell.

Monte Monteith, an education specialist at Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute in Albuquerque, N.M., temporarily took over leadership of the university in spring 2019 before Wildcat reassumed leadership during the fall 2019 semester.

The Bureau of Indian Education has been searching for a permanent president since March 2019, but it said the initial search failed to produce a strong candidate. The bureau opened a second application period in the fall, but so far no permanent president has been announced as a result of that search.

photo by: Lauren Fox

Interim president Daniel Wildcat poses in his office at Haskell Indian Nations University on Sept. 9, 2019.