OPEN LETTER TO CAMPUS COMMUNITY
March 24, 2008
To the Students, Faculty, Staff and Friends of Western Washington University:
I am writing to give you an update on the status of the activities of your Presidential Search Advisory Committee (“Committee”).
As I explained to those of you who were kind enough to attend one or more of the meetings which took place in the months of December and January, a search of this nature involves five phases: listening, defining, searching, screening and selecting. During the months of December and January, the Committee conducted meetings and forums with twenty different groups of stakeholders comprising hundreds of individuals. Our purpose was to gather input concerning the qualities and characteristics which should be sought in Western’s next president, and also on the challenges and opportunities which confront Western at this time in its history. The Committee also sent emails to over 1,200 alumni and friends of the University seeking input. A website was established, containing a questionnaire seeking input from interested parties. Based upon its listening, the Committee prepared a Position Description outlining the experiences, qualities and characteristics which it believes Western’s next president should possess. That Position Description was forwarded to and approved by the Board of Trustees (“Trustees”) at its February 8, 2008, meeting.
While the Committee was preparing the Position Description, the Trustees prepared and approved a Statement of Challenges and Opportunities and forwarded it on to the Committee for review and comment. The Committee finalized the Statement of Challenges and Opportunities in mid February.
The Position Description and the Statement of Challenges and Opportunities are the documents which have guided our consultants, Greenwood and Associates, and the Committee in our search for and evaluation of candidates for Western’s presidency.
While the Position Description and Statement of Challenges and Opportunities were in the process of being finalized, the formal search for candidates commenced. Advertisements were placed in the February issue of DIVERSE, Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education, the Chronicle of Higher Education, and Women in Higher Education. Simultaneously, the search consultants made recruitment calls to presidents, provosts and other leaders at top flight liberal arts, the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC), the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), peer, large comprehensive, and select research universities. Source calls for additional prospects and nominations were placed to top university presidents and national associations such as AASCU and the American Council on Education (ACE). Additionally, our search consultants attended national conferences for ACE in San Diego and AASCU in San Francisco to discuss the position with prospective candidates.
By the end of February, a total of 53 applications were received from an incredibly talented and experienced pool. The interest in this presidency from all over the country was remarkable. The Committee requested that there be no prescreening of applicants by the search consultant. Rather, each Committee member had access to all applications and supporting materials for every candidate. The materials submitted for all candidates were reviewed by every member of the Committee. I personally reviewed all of the materials on three separate occasions.
Following review by Committee members, the Committee met on March 1, 2008, to discuss each candidate with the difficult goal of identifying those individuals whom the Committee wanted to interview. The strong pool of candidates under active consideration by the Committee was reduced to fourteen. Those candidates were invited to participate in off-site interviews with the Committee. Of the fourteen candidates invited to participate in interviews, twelve were either sitting or former chancellors or presidents. All of the candidates had impressive academic credentials and proven track records, marking them as distinguished leaders in higher education.
The Committee recently spent two and one-half days interviewing the candidates and discussing their qualifications to serve as president of Western. After interviewing all of the candidates, the Committee identified six individuals about whom it seeks additional information through the reference process. Members of the search committee and the search firm will make reference calls to peers, supervisors, and supervisees for each candidate. Following referencing, the Committee is expected to recommend between three and five candidates for consideration by the Trustees. The Committee’s recommendations, along with the information on all 53 original applicants, will be forwarded to the Trustees soon for their consideration.
As I reflect on the selection process and the results it has produced to date, there are several observations I would like to share with you. First, the input which you and other stakeholders provided at the start of this process has proven invaluable to the search firm, Committee and Trustees in their efforts to define what Western should be looking for in its next president. We all view the presidency from slightly different perspectives. By gathering input from stakeholders perched at different viewpoints, I am of the opinion that the search firm, Committee and Trustees have received the benefit of a three dimensional view of the presidency and the promise it holds for Western’s future. For those of you who met with the Committee or provided input through its website, I extend my heartfelt thanks for your wisdom and guidance.
Second, I know that all of us on the Committee were struck by the quality of the candidates expressing an interest in Western’s presidency. Unlike past searches, where the pool consisted primarily of sitting and former provosts, vice-presidents and deans, this year’s candidate pool contains many successful sitting presidents and chancellors. This change in the composition of the candidate pool reflects the fact that, due to your hard work under the leadership of President Morse, Western is extremely attractive to accomplished presidents and chancellors who might not otherwise consider leaving their current posts. Simply put, the quality of the pool is a tribute to each of you.
Interestingly, this change in the composition of the candidate pool may work a change in the traditional presidential search process. In the past, finalists have been publicly announced and invited to visit the campus to meet with stakeholders. This was possible because the candidates who were invited to campus did not run the risk of losing their jobs or damaging their careers by being considered for a job which was a logical and expected “step up” from their position as a provost, vice-president or dean. By contrast, all of the candidates who are undergoing referencing at this time are sitting presidents or chancellors at other colleges or universities. Were their candidacies to become publicly known, it could undermine their effectiveness at their current institutions and, in some instances, be injurious to the institutions they serve and the careers they have worked a lifetime to build. Under the circumstances, it is possible that the Trustees may decide that it is necessary to depart from past practice by selecting a candidate without first bringing him or her to the campus to meet the university community. Although the Trustees have not made a decision concerning this matter, they have, on several occasions, expressed their intent to do whatever is necessary in order to procure the best possible leadership for Western’s future. I will make sure we continue to be open and transparent to the campus about the approach to this issue going forward.
Finally, I want to thank you for the quality of the individuals that you nominated to serve on the Presidential Search Advisory Committee. Every nominee was outstanding, and those who were selected to serve have proven to be hardworking, thoughtful, and dedicated to the best interest of the entire university. The Committee members have willingly sacrificed their time without complaint and with good cheer. They reflect what is best about Western --- which is every one of you. In addition, the good “chemistry” has been unbelievable. We have worked hard, but enjoyed our work --- and we have enjoyed doing it together.
On behalf of the Committee and the Trustees, let me thank you for your patience and express to you our excitement about the prospects for the future of Western Washington University.
With gratitude,
Phil Sharpe
Chair, Presidential Search Advisory Committee