The search committee for the vice president for inclusion and human dignity has accomplished much. Its work is progressing, but it is not done.
Our collective desire is to find the right candidate for this critical position. In order to do this well, it is imperative we broaden and expand the pool of candidates.
To this end, we are engaging the search firm of Hand & Associates. They have expertise in finding candidates for this area. As such, they will bring additional breadth and depth beyond our networks and search to date. This does not diminish the good work of the committee. In fact, all of its efforts will be shared with Hand & Associates and will continue to influence the search process.
Further, our current top candidates will be vetted by the search firm, so that all processes are similar for all candidates. In addition, the search firm will identify more candidates that will bring greater diversity as well as a broader pool of candidates for consideration. As has become apparent through the process of the search to date, we are competing with hundreds of organizations who are also seeking leaders in the area of inclusion and diversity.
We will keep the university advised of the work on this important search.