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November 02, 2004
And then there were three: Committee narrows pool of presidential candidates
The presidential search committee narrowed the pool of potential candidates to three on Oct. 12.
The committee, over the past few weeks, has called “non-references” for the final three candidates (people who know the candidate, but were not listed as references on the application), and the consultant firm hired by the Board, Korn/Ferry, ran deep background checks on all three.
The presidential search committee announced three unranked candidates to the Board of Trustees a week ago Monday. Those present were allowed to ask questions and make comments. The three choices were accepted.
President Larry Osnes gave two years’ notice in 2003. The following spring, the Board of Trustees announced the position opening and assembled a 14-member search committee, whose task was sifting through the pool of applications.
Over the course of the next month, the Board will bring to campus each of the three candidates for private, on-site interviews. The candidates will be introduced to campus representatives, receive tours, and become acclimated with the university’s functions.
These interviews will be private, said Duane Cady, the committee’s CLA faculty representative, because some of the candidates have standing jobs in other places. Unlike public universities such as the University of Minnesota, where final candidates are announced to the press, Hamline is allowed to protect the identities of those in the remaining pool.
This procedure is beneficial, Cady said, because it allows candidates who are not chosen to return to their jobs without raising a stir.
After more than seven months of work, the search committee has completed their responsibilities. From here, the Board of Trustees will make the final decision and offer that candidate the position.
Cady said he hopes the process will finish by mid-December.
“There are some logistical questions as to whether [the university] can get the three people in and out of campus for interviews,” Cady said, “but there’s hope that this whole business will be resolved by the end of the term.”
The pool was strong to begin with, and to Cady the search feels, at least to this point, successful.
“I feel considerably more positive about the whole process than I might have a year ago, when I contemplated [the university] entering into the process.”
Anne Wetter, CLA student representative on the search committee, agreed with Cady.
“The pool was strong, and as a student, I felt my voice was heard and they respected what I have to say,” she said.
Though Wetter said she had a favorite of the three, she added that “[The university] could be happy with any one of the final candidates.”
Updates on the presidential search timeline can be found online at http://www.hamline.edu/presidentialsearch.
Posted by msveum at November 2, 2004 11:13 AM
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