The Presidential Search Advisory Committee held an open meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 5 from 9 a.m. to noon to continue discussions about the search process. Senior Vice President Martin Baker from Baker and Associates was present for the conversations.
The meeting included a discussion on the search process and the type of model that UMW should use for its presidential search. After considerable discussion, the committee reached a consensus to recommend a hybrid model to the Board of Visitors for final endorsement. A hybrid model ensures the strongest possible pool of qualified candidates and protects candidates’ confidentiality, while also engaging additional university stakeholders in a controlled environment. Baker and Associates previously outlined the types of models and the advantages and disadvantages of each in its initial memo to the committee.
The committee also discussed the draft schedules for the remainder of its meetings and for the campus forums that will take place with Baker and Associates representatives on Aug. 25-27, 2015. These forums will allow stakeholders—faculty, students, staff, alumni, and community leaders—to express their views on the presidential search. Open forums will be complemented by an online form that will solicit input. A schedule and the online form will be available soon.
Confidentiality continues to be an integral component of the committee’s strategy for the presidential search, in order to ensure the strongest possible candidate pool. Members of the committee will sign confidentiality agreements. At the same time, the committee is committed to transparency in its process and to providing maximum opportunities for stakeholder input to inform the search. Informational updates will continue regularly through the Presidential Search Advisory Committee website (http://president.umw.edu/search/) and announcements to the University community.