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[Note: This material is copyright by The Gazette, and is reproduced here as a matter of "fair use" for non-commercial, educational purposes only. Any other use may require the prior approval of The Gazette.]

  The governor already has discussed the controversial search, halted in a 6-2 vote by the regents Nov. 17, with community and campus leaders, said his spokesman, Matt Paul.

  Vilsack’s schedule brings him to Cedar Rapids on Monday, and the discussions he’s had with people about the situation spurred having a meeting there, Paul said.

  ‘‘The point of this meeting is to discuss how we can bring the process together,’’ Paul said. ‘‘How do we move forward understanding the unique set of circumstances that have taken place so far?’’ Vilsack is to meet at 5 p.m. with Gartner; UI Interim President Gary Fethke; UI professor and Faculty Senate President Shelly Kurtz; UI Student Government President Peter McElligott; UI Staff Council President Mary Greer; and Gary Seamans, member of the presidential search committee and the UI Foundation Board.

  Vilsack will meet with reporters after that.

  Vilsack hopes to reach consensus with the group about how to proceed with the search, Paul said.

  The decision to reject the four candidates recommended to the board, scrap the committee and relaunch the search, as well as intense secrecy surrounding all aspects of the process, has drawn criticism. Most notably, criticism has come from UI faculty, staff and students.

  The UI Faculty Senate and the Staff Council plan to vote on resolutions of no confidence in regents’ leadership Tuesday.

  Kurtz said he believes Vilsack’s visit has as much to do with those planned votes as it does with the halted search.

  ‘‘My hope is the meeting will address the whole relationship,’’ he said, referring to tension between UI campus groups and regents leadership. ‘‘I think the purpose of the meeting is to see what can be done to improve the situation because all parties are deeply concerned.’’

  Gartner could not be reached for comment Friday.

  The regents, along with the search committee and campus advisory committee members, interviewed seven candidates for the UI presidency on Nov. 10 and 11 in Des Moines. The 18-member search committee recommended four candidates, including UI Provost Mike Hogan, to the regents. The three other candidates were two provosts and a president.

  The regents, in voting to reject that slate, said none of the candidates was the right fit or had the necessary experience in the health sciences. But several search committee members called the candidates excellent, adding that leadership experience in health sciences was one criterion but was not weighted as much as some other areas.