Presidential Search Update: June 26, 2019
The Presidential Search Committee has been busy meeting, interviewing initial candidates, and organizing the final interview process. We will continue interviews next week, with the goal of bringing finalists to campus July 8-9.
We have started the important work of identifying five staff, five faculty, and five students to join the Committee for the final interviews. Self-nominations for participation are due today, June 26. The Committee seeks participants representing a broad range of campus roles and diverse perspectives from the nominations. We have also asked the Alumni Advisory Group (AAG) to appoint two of their members, and senior leadership will be invited to participate.
We have been actively incorporating feedback from the Presidential Search community input sessions and online survey into the interview process. Below are some of the common themes noted under Skills, Expertise, Qualifications, and Characteristics.
• Fundraising experience and/or connections or ideas
• Financial knowledge or experience
• Communication
• Outward: passionately explain Hampshire, connect with alums/parents/donors, explain Hampshire and its unique role in the world
• Inward: build connections on campus, unify, listen to all voices, interact with community (staff/faculty/students), keep people well informed
• Knowledge/understanding of Hampshire College, or a willingness to learn quickly
• Believes in and is committed to Hampshire and its pedagogy
• Not constrained by their personal experiences at Hampshire
• Willingness to innovate and not “preserving the way things have been”
• Articulates a vision of Hampshire everyone (staff/faculty/students) can see themselves in
• Higher education experience and/or knowledge
Other repeated themes:
• Social justice, diversity, and inclusion commitment
• Comfortable in a diverse community
• Proven leadership abilities
• Skill of deep listening—but also able to say they can’t promise everything
• Strong mediator and facilitator with the potential to unify our community
• Collaborative
• Able to make tough decisions and stand by them, even if community not in consensus
• Ask for help when needed
• Own up to mistakes publicly