College Presidential Search: Plan in Advance
Robert C. Andringa, Ph.D.
President
Council for Christian Colleges & Universities
Too many campuses wait until there is a vacancy in the presidency to discuss a presidential search. This often causes a delay of several weeks or months and results in uncertainty on the part of faculty, students, donors and prospective students. It is much better to plan ahead when there is time to consider the best options. After appropriate review by key stakeholders, the board should adopt a policy to "keep in the file" for when a search becomes necessary.Here are some of the key questions to address in a board policy or resolution on presidential search (it can always be amended to fit an unusual situation):
1.How is an interim president selected if needed
2.Is that person eligible to be a candidate
3.Search committee plus a selection committee, or one committee to do both
4.Number and groups to be represented on committee
5.Who appoints (e.g., do faculty appoint their representatives or nominate some to the board)
6.Who will chair the search committee
7.Will a search firm be retained and, if so, by whom
8.Alternatively, will a search consultant be used to help the committee do much of the work
9.Budget for a search
10.Staff support for a search
11.Who must be notified and invited to nominate people
12.Essential criteria for selecting a president
13.Type of on-campus visits, if any, the board desires
14.Type of recommendation back to the board, e.g., three rank ordered or just one
15.Transition issues of concern to the board
16.Negotiating the new president's compensation package
17.Treating the outgoing president fairly
18.Organizing a welcome committee to assist the new president/spouse
19.Plan for evaluating the search process to benefit future searches
UsefulReferences:
The Search Committee Handbook: A Guide to Recruiting Administrators, by Ted Marchese, VP of American Association for Higher Education (AAHE), Washington, DC. 202/293-6440
On Assuming a College or University Presidency: Lessons and Advice from the Field, by Bensimon, Gade and Kauffman, AAHE. (same phone number as above)
Presidential Search: A Guide to the Process of Selecting and Appointing College and University Presidents, by John W. Nason, Association of Governing Boards (AGB). 800-356-6317.
Deciding Who Shall Lead: Recommendations for Improving Presidential Searches, by American Council on Education (ACE) and AGB.