Dear Arcadia Community:

I am pleased to update the community regarding the Presidential Search process. 

Board Chair Chuck Lentz and I attended the final Faculty Senate meeting of the 2016-17 academic year on May 9 to report on the search’s progress. There, we outlined the Search Committee’s plan to move forward with preliminary candidate interviews with the intention to invite the finalists to campus.

Several in attendance at the meeting expressed concern that scheduling finalists to visit campus during the summer months would make it difficult for faculty, students, and alumni to attend. Many also expressed a strong sentiment that the plan for remote participation would not be sufficient to properly engage our community in this important process.

Taking this feedback into consideration, the Search Committee decided to schedule finalist interviews when faculty and students have returned to campus to start the 2017-18 academic year. This will allow the Board to provide the entire Arcadia community with a greater opportunity to engage and comment on the candidates for Arcadia’s next president.

On May 23, the Search Committee met to carefully review the information submitted by the applicants to determine whom to select for first-round interviews. The candidates had been vetted from a much larger pool by our search firm, Diversified Search, and were determined to meet the basic qualifications set forth by the Search Committee.

At the end of last week, members of the Search Committee interviewed those top candidates to determine which had the credentials, experience, and personal skills to potentially serve as Arcadia’s next president. Over the upcoming summer months, Diversified Search will provide additional vetting and check references of the remaining candidates. Should any new qualified candidates be discovered, they will be considered and interviewed.

The Search Committee will communicate the schedules for the top candidates’ visits once dates are finalized. Please understand that, while every attempt will be made to provide as much advance notice as possible, the nature of such schedules is dynamic and subject to change.

In the interim, the appointment of Hank Brown, who carries with him a great deal of successful and quantifiable higher education leadership experience, will provide the University with the stability needed as we undertake critical University tasks. Please continue to use the Presidential Search website (arcadia.edu/presidential-search) to communicate any comments or concerns about the search process. As always, your input is encouraged and appreciated. 

Sincerely,

Jey Auritt, Ph.D.
Chair, Presidential Search Committee