And then there were two.

Just nine days after visiting campus, MaryAnn Baenninger, president at the College of Saint Benedict in St. Joseph, Minn., withdrew from the search for Ithaca College’s president.

Eleven years ago to the day, the college faced the same situation when looking to replace outgoing President James J. Whalen. The third candidate withdrew, and only two remained. The faculty council urged the President Search Committee not to extend the search — and it didn’t. President Peggy R. Williams was named president three weeks later.

Despite flaws in the process leading to her appointment, Williams has proven herself as a capable leader. But now, with a campus prepared to turn over two of its highest administrators, the same process is unlikely to pass without consequence.

When the candidate withdrew during the 1997 search, there was something left to be desired about the two that remained: Williams was the president of a much smaller public college in Vermont, and the second had no administrative experience at this level.

Iain Crawford, one of the remaining candidates in this search, does have administrative experience — but at a college that’s just a third of the size of Ithaca. At the College of Wooster in Ohio, where Crawford is vice president for academic affairs,  only 38 majors are offered — a number surpassed in our own School of Humanities and Sciences alone.     

Thomas Rochon, the other candidate, is the executive vice president and chief academic officer at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn. The school, with 6,076 undergraduates, is a similar size to our own. But Ithacan interviews with students and faculty from St. Thomas showed those interviewed were upset about Rochon’s policies, which should raise doubts about whether his experience at a private Catholic university will be cohesive with our more liberal and intellectually diverse campus.

Baenninger was the only finalist who is a college president and who comes from  liberal arts programs comparable to our own. With the best-suited candidate — at least on paper — out of the picture, the pool is reduced to two candidates who could rise to the occasion as Williams did, but are still less qulaified.

The search committee cannot be content to choose from anything less than the most qualified for our campus. A high standard becomes more important when considering what weight  future appointments will have in shaping the college’s identity. Urgency is always an important factor, but it should never outweigh quality. Now with only two candidates, it is even more important not to cut  time for reflection short.

What it faces is three choices: hire Crawford, hire Rochon or extend the search. Choosing from two instead of three candidates is no doubt easier — but it’s not the best action for the position or the community.