Trustees reconsider searches

After an unsuccessful search for an IU-Bloomington chancellor, the IU board of trustees discussed possible changes to IU's search and screening process.\nInterim Provost Michael McRobbie presented his suggested priorities to the trustees' External Relations Committee meeting Friday. He said IU needs to consider the size of committees, quality of the members, University involvement and use of search firms.\nIU officials are currently searching or will be searching for several positions including IUB provost, IU-Purdue University Indianapolis executive vice chancellor and six deans on the Bloomington campus, including dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.\nMcRobbie said he is generally in favor of smaller search committees, which mean greater efficiency and consensus. The trade-off, McRobbie said, is that smaller committees mean less representation from faculty and students. IU student trustee Casey Cox said he would like to see student representation continue in all searches.\nTed Miller, president of the Bloomington Faculty Council, suggested that problem could be remedied by making the final four or five candidates open to the public. McRobbie confirmed that committees will most likely be more open. Miller said by unveiling the finalists, the entire University can be involved in the process.\nPositions such as IU president or provost -- both of which IU will search for in the upcoming years -- will be up to the trustees if they are to announce finalists, McRobbie said.\nAnother important aspect of searches, McRobbie said, is the qualifications of members. With smaller searches, it's even more important to find people who have the right background to select the best candidates, he said.\n"It really depends on what kind of search you are doing," McRobbie said. "If you are searching for a law school dean, a committee full of philosophers wouldn't be a good idea."\nMcRobbie said it's also important to have the University leaders involved with the members of the search committee. For example, McRobbie said he is in constant communication with the members of the COAS dean search committee because whoever it chooses will report directly to him.\nMcRobbie said he is also skeptical when it comes to the use of search firms. He said search firms can be great because they ensure a diverse pool of candidates, but the University gives up some control. Also, McRobbie said search firms might not be as welcoming as search committees. IUPUI Chancellor Charles Bantz agreed, emphasizing how important it is to treat every candidate well because "you never know if you'll run into them again."\n"We need to treat every candidate like they are the most important person to step on campus," Bantz said.\nBantz elaborated on McRobbie's comments and said some of the things he looks for in searches are efficiency and diversity. He said one "absolutely essential" aspect of any search is a timeline with clearly stated goals and expectations.\nBantz said he has noticed IU is very male-dominated and search committees should also consider diversity when selecting candidates.\n"If they show up with people that look just like me, they better have a good story," Bantz said.\nTrustee Thomas Reilly Jr. mentioned in the meeting the possibility of limiting the number of searches IU conducts.\n"Do we have to have searches for all of these positions?" Reilly said. "It's puts a lot of cost and effort on the University."\nHe said IU has several interim deans, one at the School of Informatics who has been an interim for four years.\nHe advocated that in certain positions IU leaders should just appoint someone instead of conducting a lengthy search.\nMcRobbie agreed with Reilly.\n"There are some occurrences where you have someone acting and it's clear that person is great and should stay in the job," McRobbie said.\nReilly went even further by suggesting some positions which are truly administrative could also be filled. He pointed out the Indiana Memorial Union is looking for a new director and asked, "Isn't that just a hotel manager position?"\n"Well, there are also diversity issues," IU President Adam Herbert said, interrupting Reilly. Several trustees informed Reilly there are legal and diversity-related ramifications by not having searches. Some said without a search process, minority candidates would not receive a shot at many jobs.\nIU legal counsel Dorothy Frapwell explained to the board that there is no law that says there has to be searches, but said it could leave IU open to discrimination lawsuits by affirmative action groups. She said the real question is how you define a search because essentially when a job is available, all employers do some sort of search even if there isn't an appointed committee involved.\n"Still, if you never do open searches, you put yourself in a legal problem," Frapwell said.