Dear Colleagues:
I am writing to extend my gratitude for making the time on Thursday to discuss the forthcoming search for the next dean of the Whitman School. I appreciate your input, which was both candid and constructive. I am looking forward to additional consultation with the Whitman faculty and working with you on this search.
As a follow-up to our discussion, I want to provide an overview of the search process the University will follow to select the next dean, as well as invite nominations for search committee members. For those of you in attendance at Thursday’s meeting, this message is a summary of the PowerPoint presentation I shared.
Search Process
Consistent with the dean search guidelines developed by the Board of Trustees in 2014 that have been followed for every dean search since, the process will include:
- Consulting with faculty early in the process on priorities and characteristics for the next dean;
- Constituting the search committee in consultation with core constituencies in the college, including nominations for faculty members;
- With support from a search firm, the search committee will:
- Receive its charge;
- Develop the position description;
- Assemble and vet list of candidates; and
- Identify list of finalists;
- Inviting finalists to campus for interviews;
- Soliciting feedback from the community, which the committee will then summarize and assess before submitting to me; and
- Reviewing the search committee assessment and, after consulting with the Chancellor, extending an offer to the identified candidate.
Search Committee Nominations
We are now accepting nominations for those interested in serving on the search committee. The nominating window will remain open until Friday, July 15. If you are interested in being considered, please send an email to provost@syr.edu. You may also nominate other individuals, including faculty colleagues, staff and students, by emailing provost@syr.edu.
Search Committee Composition
Once all nominations are submitted, individuals selected to serve will receive an invitation from me. I will also appoint the chair (or co-chairs) of the committee. The composition of the committee will include:
- Faculty: The majority of the committee will be faculty and will be selected to broadly represent rank, discipline and social background. A faculty member (or members) will be appointed to chair (or co-chair) the committee.
- Students: Representatives will include one undergraduate and one graduate student.
- Senior Professional Staff Member: One senior leader will serve on the committee.
- Volunteer Leaders: This may include members of the Board of Trustees and/or the Whitman Advisory Council.
- Academic Leaders: This may include another dean and/or an associate provost.
Timeline
The search committee and search firm will begin their work early in the fall semester when the vast majority of our student, faculty and staff community returns to campus.
The Whitman School is on a trajectory for continued growth and academic excellence; the next dean will have a strong foundation on which to build. That is due in large part to the success of and commitment from the faculty. The next dean will be integral to Whitman’s short- and long-term success. As such, we will take the time we need and conduct our due diligence to ensure we find the right leader for the Whitman School.
Until the search committee is convened, please feel free to send any comments or suggestions to provost@syr.edu.
Have a great summer.
Sincerely,
Gretchen Ritter
Vice Chancellor and Provost