For the second time this year, Ohio University Executive Vice President and Provost Kathy Krendl has been named a finalist for a presidency at another college. Last February, it was Elmhurst College; this time, it’s Otterbein College.

Well, um, congratulations, we suppose.

While we certainly do not begrudge Krendl her professional advancement and understand that faculty unionization on her watch might look bad for her résumé, it could not come at a worse time.

Krendl is second in charge at OU and has worked as provost since 2004. She’s chief academic officer, head of day-to-day academic operations, and the major constructor of VisionOhio, the university’s plan toward ambitions such as national prominence and greater diversity. She’s overseeing the transition from quarters to semesters slated for fall 2012. She has a major role in budget planning — at a time when OU has budget problems.

In short, she’s exactly the sort of person that would be difficult to replace on short notice or with someone outside of OU, and her job is the sort few people at OU  probably would want.

Unfortunately, the university has not said whether it has any sort of plan in place to replace Krendl if — and really, when — she goes. It’s disconcerting to see high-level administrators jump ship over and over again, especially with the knowledge that their replacements often end up earning higher salaries than their predecessors. While it is to be hoped that the university has some sort of contingency plan in place, especially because Krendl has given at least two hints toward her desire to move on. It’s probably too much to expect that such a transition would be anything but rocky.

Ohio University needs to have a contingency plan, and it needs to share that plan with the people who have a stake in this institution, be they students, faculty, staff and Athens residents.

Editorials represent the views of The Post’s executive editors.