By Brianna Wallen
News Editor
A pamphlet of the presidential search process.
As the university looks to the future, the process of selecting its next leader has become a key priority. While Dwayne Smith is currently serving as the university’s interim president, the institution has recently initiated a search for its permanent president.
This follows an announcement from Terrence Cheng, Chancellor of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU), on the CSCU website on Jan. 25.
“The Chancellor of the Connecticut State Colleges & Universities invites nominations and applications for the position of President at Southern Connecticut State University,” CSCU website states.
Jes Kras, Chief Human Resources Officer and Search Committee Co-Chair, recently released in an email to the campus community that the Search Committee has been working alongside Chancellor Cheng, System Office staff, and the executive search firm WittKieffer to develop a position profile and establish a detailed timeline for the search process.
According to CSCU’s timeline, the search process is progressing as planned, with the Search Committee and Search Chair appointed, the scope of work completed, the contract finalized and the university’s administrative support established by the week of Nov. 25, 2024.
Currently, the university is in phase No. 2 of the timeline, as they are in the process of selecting a Search Advisory Committee.
According to CSCU’s President Search Process documents, the main role of the Search Advisory Committee is to provide valuable feedback at different stages of the presidential search process.
“This includes contribution to the development of the leadership profile, assessing candidate resumes, and participating in the interviews of semi-finalists and finalists,” the CSCU documents state.
Kras also released in his email on Jan. 31, that they are in the process of appointing a 29-member Search Advisory Committee, which will include representation from key stakeholder groups on campus: five faculty members, five administrative faculty, five classified employees, four non-represented employees, fivestudents and five external stakeholders, such as alumni, foundation members and business leaders.
Based on the CSCU timeline, the Search Advisory Committee appointments and elections are expected to be submitted to the Search Chair by Feb. 21.
Application and candidate materials to be considered for the role as president, will be accepted until March 14.
Throughout the semester, the process will undergo behind the scenes with members of the Search and Search Advisory Committees accessing candidates’ resumes and related information.
The Search Advisory Committee will recommend candidates for initial interviews and nominate three of its members to join the Search Committee for these interviews.
From March 31 to April 11, the Search Committee, along with representatives from the Search Advisory Committee, are scheduled to conduct the first-round interviews virtually.
The campus community, including faculty, staff and students, are welcomed to join the presidential process during the on-campus open forums. They will have the opportunity to ask questions to the finalists and share feedback.
The process will conclude with a community announcement from the CSCU Chancellor on May 15, declaring the appointment of the president.
Throughout the search process, the university will provide regular updates on a dedicated search website, which can be accessed via the official university website’s home page.
All members of the campus community are encouraged to actively participate in this important process, as it will help shape the future direction of the institution.
