Presidential Search Transparency Plan

Following the faculty and staff sessions with SpencerStuart there have been a number of questions regarding transparency of the final stages of the presidential search. Below is the current plan.

1. Finalists (about 3) will visit campus for a confidential visit. It will involve more individuals than are on the presidential search committee, but there will be no public presentations or questioning.
2. Based on all information gathered to date, the search committee will select the apparent next president.
3. The apparent (one remaining finalist) should do a fully public visit to campus with open presentation including questions. I expect a social reception engagement with the community as well. While it would be bad form for many community members to begin calling contacts at the candidate’s home institution, this is a good time for questions or concerns to be forwarded to the search committee and search firm for off-list investigation. There will be an online opportunity for comments at the conclusion of this visit.
4. After reviewing the visit and input from the community, the search committee will either vote to recommend the apparent choice to the Board of Trustees as the next president, or conclude that we must continue the search.

Note that these are current plans.  Every search has its own personality and plans may need to be modified. But any change that eliminates public engagement with the community would only be undertaken after substantial discussion with the community. I don’t foresee that happening, but can’t guarantee.

I will be on campus April 1 and available to meet with faculty who would like to discuss the process further.

Regards, Jim Bean
Chair, HMC Presidential Search Committee