The Presidential Search Committee met for the first time on Saturday, April 18, and accepted its charge from the Board of Trustees. In so doing, we spent considerable time discussing the necessity of maintaining strict confidentiality throughout the search. The attached document was reviewed and agreed to by all committee members. We also reviewed and approved a preliminary search timeline, and discussed the next steps in the search process. At this time, we hope to conclude the search before the end of the calendar year, 2009, with an effective starting date for the new president on or about July 1 of 2010.
The committee will be assisted by Academic Search of Washington, DC, a consulting firm that has worked exclusively for over 30 years in searches for presidents and senior administrators in higher education. Dr. Thomas B. Courtice, the firm’s president, will serve as our consultant and will provide counsel for the committee’s work throughout the course of the search.
In that regard, Dr. Courtice will launch the search process by visiting the campus next week, April 28 - 30, to talk with all Central constituencies. His interviews and conversations will result in an important written profile which will outline Central’s key institutional needs and priorities, and a related set of desired characteristics and talents for our next college president.
Ardie Sutphen will be serving as the Search Committee’s administrative coordinator to the campus. We will work through her to build an inclusive schedule for Dr. Courtice’s visit that will encourage your participation. The detailed schedule and more information about ways in which you will be able to provide your input will be announced soon. We realize that Tom’s visit is scheduled at the very busy conclusion of the semester, but it is critical that he can be on campus and hear from you while the academic year is still in session. We strongly urge you to share your thoughts and ideas in these discussions at an appropriate time during the two-day period.
If you have any questions or comments at this early stage, please address them to me (orrmp@mchsi.com). You may also contact Tom directly at any time (tom.courtice@academic-search.com). I will continue to write to you, on behalf of the search committee, throughout the coming months to keep you posted on our progress.
Mike Orr, Trustee
Chair, Presidential Search Committee
