President Search

Total Red

Total Red

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isuquinndog said:
Thought I would just start a new thread for all things about the search for the the new ISU President.

www.wglt.org

ISU formalizes 29-member committee to help find next president

The 29-member committee that will aid ISU's search for a new president met for the first time Tuesday morning.
www.wglt.org www.wglt.org
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A 29 member committee in addition to an external search firm?
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isuquinndog

isuquinndog

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Total Red said:
A 29 member committee in addition to an external search firm?
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Yeah I kind of thought the same thing. I was on a committee as a student to select a dean (I don't even remember which one now) and I think there were 10 of us total. That seemed large. But 29? I can't imagine.
 
Total Red

Total Red

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I have at least a couple of issues with a 29-member search committee. 1) It's bloated and unwieldy. Kind of like bass fishing with a battleship. Do all 29 members get to talk? Those can be some long meetings. If they don't, do they really need to be there?
2) and more importantly, Accountability. When President Flanagan got hired, we had both internal and external searching. Who selected Flanagan? Good luck trying to figure it out after the fact. You'll get a lot of, "well I was on that committee, but he wasn't my first choice."

How about this? - the 29-member committee meets once and elects a 3-person internal search committee.
Those 3 elect one person to lead the search and the 3 of them go out and interview candidates. They can travel to other cities if interviewees do not want to risk traveling to Normal. If an outside search firm is required by law, it can be used for background checks and things of that nature. It should not be used to make the final decision. If the hire turns out to be a good one, then the 3-person committee should be strongly considered for future searches.

Also, I'm ready for the jargon surrounding searches to change. I'm hearing words like "collaboration" "diversity" "input" and "teamwork." Talk like that leads me to believe that some people are more interested in conducting what they consider the ideal process, than they are with selecting the ideal candidate.

And while I am not opposed to those concepts it does concern me that even more essential concepts get slighted. Words like - "accountability" "results" "merit" "performance" and "accountability." Did I say "accountability" twice? Good.
 
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fdbird83

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Total Red said:
I have at least a couple of issues with a 29-member search committee. 1) It's bloated and unwieldy. Kind of like bass fishing with a battleship. Do all 29 members get to talk? Those can be some long meetings. If they don't, do they really need to be there?
2) and more importantly, Accountability. When President Flanagan got hired, we had both internal and external searching. Who selected Flanagan? Good luck trying to figure it out after the fact. You'll get a lot of, "well I was on that committee, but he wasn't my first choice."

How about this? - the 29-member committee meets once and elects a 3-person internal search committee.
Those 3 elect one person to lead the search and the 3 of them go out and interview candidates. They can travel to other cities if interviewees do not want to risk traveling to Normal. If an outside search firm is required by law, it can be used for background checks and things of that nature. It should not be used to make the final decision. If the hire turns out to be a good one, then the 3-person committee should be strongly considered for future searches.

Also, I'm ready for the jargon surrounding searches to change. I'm hearing words like "collaboration" "diversity" "input" and "teamwork." Talk like that leads me to believe that some people are more interested in conducting what they consider the ideal process, than they are with selecting the ideal candidate.

And while I am not opposed to those concepts it does concern me that even more essential concepts get slighted. Words like - "accountability" "results" "merit" "performance" and "accountability." Did I say "accountability" twice? Good.
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I once heard someone say, if your search committee can't fit in an elevator it's too big.
 
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ChiRedbirdfan

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Total Red said:
I have at least a couple of issues with a 29-member search committee. 1) It's bloated and unwieldy. Kind of like bass fishing with a battleship. Do all 29 members get to talk? Those can be some long meetings. If they don't, do they really need to be there?
2) and more importantly, Accountability. When President Flanagan got hired, we had both internal and external searching. Who selected Flanagan? Good luck trying to figure it out after the fact. You'll get a lot of, "well I was on that committee, but he wasn't my first choice."

How about this? - the 29-member committee meets once and elects a 3-person internal search committee.
Those 3 elect one person to lead the search and the 3 of them go out and interview candidates. They can travel to other cities if interviewees do not want to risk traveling to Normal. If an outside search firm is required by law, it can be used for background checks and things of that nature. It should not be used to make the final decision. If the hire turns out to be a good one, then the 3-person committee should be strongly considered for future searches.

Also, I'm ready for the jargon surrounding searches to change. I'm hearing words like "collaboration" "diversity" "input" and "teamwork." Talk like that leads me to believe that some people are more interested in conducting what they consider the ideal process, than they are with selecting the ideal candidate.

And while I am not opposed to those concepts it does concern me that even more essential concepts get slighted. Words like - "accountability" "results" "merit" "performance" and "accountability." Did I say "accountability" twice? Good.
Click to expand...
SPOT ON!! I have the same thoughts/concerns…etc.
 
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Redbird222

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Total Red said:
I have at least a couple of issues with a 29-member search committee. 1) It's bloated and unwieldy. Kind of like bass fishing with a battleship. Do all 29 members get to talk? Those can be some long meetings. If they don't, do they really need to be there?
2) and more importantly, Accountability. When President Flanagan got hired, we had both internal and external searching. Who selected Flanagan? Good luck trying to figure it out after the fact. You'll get a lot of, "well I was on that committee, but he wasn't my first choice."

How about this? - the 29-member committee meets once and elects a 3-person internal search committee.
Those 3 elect one person to lead the search and the 3 of them go out and interview candidates. They can travel to other cities if interviewees do not want to risk traveling to Normal. If an outside search firm is required by law, it can be used for background checks and things of that nature. It should not be used to make the final decision. If the hire turns out to be a good one, then the 3-person committee should be strongly considered for future searches.

Also, I'm ready for the jargon surrounding searches to change. I'm hearing words like "collaboration" "diversity" "input" and "teamwork." Talk like that leads me to believe that some people are more interested in conducting what they consider the ideal process, than they are with selecting the ideal candidate.

And while I am not opposed to those concepts it does concern me that even more essential concepts get slighted. Words like - "accountability" "results" "merit" "performance" and "accountability." Did I say "accountability" twice? Good.
Click to expand...
I can't imagine 29 different people engaging with the candidates. That would be chaotic and quite frankly I think a negative to most candidates. Hopefully there are quite a few folks just doing things behind the scenes like identifying candidates, due diligence, referrals, and financials.

I hope there are clear decision making lines with 29 folks involved.
 
isuquinndog

isuquinndog

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isuquinndog

isuquinndog

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isuquinndog said:
Interim President is a finalist for another job.

www.wglt.org

Interim ISU president Tarhule is a finalist for vice presidency at a university in Indiana

An Illinois State University spokesperson said former provost and current interim president Aondover Tarhule is weighing other options as his June 30 tenure date comes to a close. Tarhule has been interim president of ISU since February.
www.wglt.org www.wglt.org
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There are also some president search updates in there, including the massive 29 person committee has yet to put forward one single current ISU employee who they think could be a good fit. That sounds less than ideal.
 
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Cindy00

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isuquinndog said:
There are also some president search updates in there, including the massive 29 person committee has yet to put forward one single current ISU employee who they think could be a good fit. That sounds less than ideal.
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There is no reason to be concerned about that. If I was on the search committee and knew someone that should apply I would reach out to that person myself, not have the search firm reach out. Our campus is very connected with each other. Most people know who would and wouldn't be interested before there was even an opening.
 
isuquinndog

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At a search committee meeting on Tuesday, PES president Laurie Wilder said the search firm plans to make presidential candidate information available to the search committee on Jan. 15.

Then, on Jan. 25, the search committee will meet in closed session to select around 10-12 people for first-round interviews that will take place in early February.
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From the November article. So the committee should have some candidates now and getting ready to send out interviews soon. Hopefully they start moving quick.
 
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Birdswin

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isuquinndog said:
From the November article. So the committee should have some candidates now and getting ready to send out interviews soon. Hopefully they start moving quick.
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Sounds like a bureaucratic mess. First, a 29 person committee is WAY to many people. Then, you hire a search firm - and plan to "narrow" it down to 10-12 candidates??? That is very poor management. Search committee should be no more than 8-10 and then narrow the candidate list to 3-5 after the Search firm process, would make a whole lot more sense.
 
Bird Friend

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Birdswin said:
Sounds like a bureaucratic mess. First, a 29 person committee is WAY to many people. Then, you hire a search firm - and plan to "narrow" it down to 10-12 candidates??? That is very poor management. Search committee should be no more than 8-10 and then narrow the candidate list to 3-5 after the Search firm process, would make a whole lot more sense.
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Why would they want to do this sensibly?
 
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