Trustee and presidential search
committee chair Frank Messa '73 told faculty on Friday, Jan. 21, that the board
is aiming to hire a new president by the beginning of the next academic year.
“I realize September first is a
very ambitious timeframe and against conventional wisdom,” Messa said at a
meeting seeking faculty input on the search process. “This would not be just for the sake of
speed, but because of the momentum of the College and our ['You are Union'] campaign.” He said trustees are concerned that
having an interim president could cause a loss of momentum on several
initiatives.
Several faculty members voiced
skepticism about what they considered an ambitious timeframe. “It seems to me
that it is already too late for this year, and that we have lost all the good
candidates,” said Seyfi Maleki of physics.
Messa stressed that the committee
would be flexible, hiring an interim president if the search process does not
surface an outstanding candidate. “Other institutions have done this, and we
think it's worth a try. At about 60 days into the process, we'll know a lot
more about the candidate pool,” he said.
Discussion also focused on the
number of faculty on the search committee and how they would be selected. Most
faculty members who spoke favored a vote.
Messa said he was considering appointing faculty leaders or
nominees.
Terry Weiner of political science
said he favored selection. “This could get very divisive if we have a set of
people with very different views,” he said.
Messa said that the board would
like to keep the committee to 10 or fewer, possibly to include students or
staff. Faculty membership would likely number between two and four, he said.
Most faculty who spoke at the
meeting favored four faculty members – one from each division. Messa said he
could not commit to a number yet, but would keep the faculty informed as the
process moves forward.
Messa said the committee's first
act will be to hire a national search firm. “Although we are not foreclosing
any options, my inclination is to use a smaller firm that specializes in
academic searches,” he said.
Messa met with Student Forum on
Monday, Jan. 24, and asked the student governing body to nominate three
students for a seat on the committee.
Messa and members of Forum agreed
that as the representative student body, Forum should nominate student
representatives. “We have the mandate, we have the student voices,” said one
member. “There is no better [nominating] committee on campus.”
Messa said he will interview the
student nominees and make his decision by January 31.