Presidential Selection

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Presidential Selection 2.02. (a) NSU BOV
By Laws The Boards most important
responsibility is selection and oversight of the
University President.


Jack L. Ezzell, Jr. Rector, Board of Visitors
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Our Goal

• Select the best available President for Norfolk
  State University through a comprehensive
  nation-wide search.

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Confidentiality

• Confidentiality cannot be overemphasized. More
  good candidates are lost or are never attracted
  because of a lack of confidentiality than for all
  other reasons combined.
• Dedicated Office
• Secure communications

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Early Actions

• Meetings and consultation with search chairs,
  presidents, committee members, and stakeholders.
• Extensive literature searches.
• Engaged consultants.
• The Goal Identify and implement Best Practices.

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EngagedWilliam Weary General Consultant

• Author of Essentials of Presidential Search and
  Presidential Search Guidelines and Directory.
• Developed Association of Governing Boards (AGB)
  Presidential Search Workshop.
• Conducted the 2003 NSU Board retreat.

Engaged Alan and Ellen Cox --- Leadership
Statement

• Conducted the 2004 NSU Board Strategic
  Planning Session.

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NSU Presidential SearchA Phased Approach

• Phase I --- Planning (March May)
• Phase II --- Preparation (May August)
• Phase III --- Execution (Sept Jan 06)
• Phase IV --- Hiring Transition (Feb 06 Jul
  06)

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The Search Committee

• 9-12 individuals.
• Chairperson (Board chair)
• Able to devote time to the process.
• Must be steady, articulate, and able to convey
  excitement about institutions mission and
  possibilities.
• Maintains regular contact with community, media,
  and candidates.
• Membership should reflect the institutions major
  constituencies board members, faculty, alumni,
  classified employees, foundation members (exclude
  administrators who report directly to the
  President).

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The Executive Search Firm

• Prepare board to address issues unique to
  university
• Offer guidance on selecting and appointing a
  committee
• Provide support and counsel to the chair
• Define confidentiality as it relates to the
  search
• Involve constituencies while maintaining control
  of the process
• Set a search calendar that corresponds to hiring
  windows and realistic estimates of search time
• Create a reasonable budget for the process
• Identify challenges for the next president
• Attract the best candidates through strategic
  advertising and recruiting
• Identify candidates otherwise unavailable to
  search
• Screen the candidate pool
• Check references,
• Interview semifinalists,
• Coordinate and assist with campus visits,
• Keep the board focused
• Prepare to write a contract and prepare a
  competitive compensation package
• Assist in website preparation.

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The Executive Search Firm(Engaged Heidrick
Struggles)

• Awarded via a competitive procurement w/ seven
  responses
• Conducted successful searches for Presidents and
  Chancellors (partial list)
• University of North Carolina at Charlotte
• Arizona State
• California State
• Fayetteville State
• Louisiana State
• North Carolina AT State University
• The NSU Team
• Ms. Veronica Biggins
• Senior Partner
• Former Assistant to President of U.S. and
  Director of Presidential Personnel
• Ms. Euris Belle
• Senior Associate in the Atlanta Office
• Former CEO of a search firm

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Leadership StatementCharacteristics the board
wants in the next president.

• The leadership statement, which should be a
  public document, is based upon a careful analysis
  of the institutions current needs and
  opportunities and should emerge from the careful
  involvement of the institutions entire
  community. It provides the only reliable guide
  to the recruitment and screening of candidates
  and the appointment of the next president.
  Clarity and consensus among board members, along
  with good process, are important ingredients of a
  successful search.

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Leadership StatementCharacteristics the board
wants in the next president.

• Define the work to be done during the next
  presidency.
• Strong statements feature accomplishments of the
  preceding presidency and challenges ahead. They
  overview the agenda for next five years.
• They enable the committee and board to write
  advertisements, recruit candidates aggressively,
  screen applicant pool, check references, conduct
  meaningful interviews, select finalists, make
  recommendations and final selection.
• Well-crafted statements tend to attract the right
  candidates.
• They can help focus the community on the
  institutions agenda and work that lies ahead.

The universitys recently completed strategic
plan will be invaluable in preparing this
statement.
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Leadership StatementCharacteristics the board
wants in the next president.

• Step one
• Board held a facilitated retreat on August 12th
• Overviewed the strategic plan
• Positioning statement
• Enrollment Management Plan
• Fundraising and Financial Aid
• Conducted small group discussions that identified
  issues crucial to universitys future
• Discussed components of a leadership statement
• Held group discussions to identify desired
  characteristics

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Leadership StatementCharacteristics the board
wants in the next NSU President.

• Academic
• Earned advanced degree, doctoral level required
• Prior leadership experience in public, four-year
  academic environment senior academic or dean at
  large university preferred
• Understand the emerging role of technology in
  higher education operational, academic, research
  as a differentiator
• Commitment to principles of academic freedom,
  tenure and shared governance
• Expertise to assess, create, develop, strengthen
  and maintain academic programs
• Strong commitment to higher education
• Understand the role of athletics in higher
  education

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Leadership StatementCharacteristics the board
wants in the next NSU President.

• Management/Leadership
• Proven track record in managing complex
  organizations comparable to mid-size college
• Minimum 10 years experience in leadership
  position
• Proven fiscal management experience with
  responsibility for multi-million dollar budget
  managed complex fiscal organization
• Experienced in interfacing with multiple
  constituencies and stakeholders (political
  skills). i.e. Students, faculty, board, alumni,
  community, private sector, higher education
  community, government and media
• Ability to effectively represent NSU with
  constituents
• Evidence of ability to develop partnerships with
  private sector, government and academia
• Evidence of civic involvement
• Proven and quantifiable experience with
  significant fund-raising---multiple sources and
  identifying new sources
• Managing transformational change Ability to
  engage constituents for benefit of NSU

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Leadership StatementCharacteristics the board
wants in the next NSU President.

• Management/Leadership
• Ability to delegate
• Ability to lead the transition from liberal arts
  to technology and liberal arts
• Ability to manage an organization on the leading
  edge of technology
• Value and understand HBCU culture, role and
  viability
• Commitment to diversity in student population
• Proven record of encouraging professional
  development and hiring and retaining talented and
  diverse administrators, faculty, and staff
• Ability to implement strategic vision and plan
• Marketing, advocacy and public relations skills

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Leadership StatementCharacteristics the board
wants in the next NSU President.

• Great interpersonal skills
• Integrity
• Good listener
• Good communicator
• Confident
• Approachable
• Politically astute
• Credibility
• Friendly

• Good public presence
• Intellectual
• Team player
• Visionary
• Focused
• Student centered
• Customer focused
• Good common sense
• Record of contributing
• Wealth, wisdom, work

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Leadership StatementCharacteristics the board
wants in the next NSU President.

• Step Two (August September)
• Host open forums with university stakeholders to
  solicit answers to the questions What
  characteristics are you looking for in the new
  President? What are the biggest issues facing
  the university over the next five years?
• Finalize the statement as a basis for selecting
  the President

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NSU will generate an applicant pool

• Advertise in journals
• Chronicle of Higher Education
• Black Issues in Higher Education
• Community College Times
• Publish for about one month (indicate date
  applications start)
• Request nominations as well as applications
• Define what is meant by confidentiality
• Request a resume
• Require a letter of interest
• Promote on dedicated website
• Prepare a list of individuals from various
  institutions who are likely to know potential
  applicants and ask for nominations.
• Handle the candidates with courtesy. Provide
  prompt follow-up letters

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Actions To Date

• Phase I Planning
• Rectors meetings and consultation March 05
• Engage a general consultant April 05
• Brief the Executive Committee May 05
• Brief the full board May 05
• Phase II Preparation
• Draft budget June 05
• Select an executive search firm July 05
• Draft leadership statement July/Aug 05
• Hold BOV Retreat August 05
• Finalize search committee August 05
• Nominations are being accepted for faculty
  membership on the search committee.
• Applications to include resume and supporting
  qualifications, should be send to
  PresidentialSearch_at_NSU.edu NLT August 20, 2005.

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Phase III --- Execution

• Coordinate leadership statement with
  community Aug/Sept 05
• Activate search office, launch website,
  etc. Aug/Sept 05
• September BOV Meeting Sept05
• Finalize leadership statement Sept 05
• Approve budget Sept 05
• First search committee meeting (concurrent w/ BOV
  mtg) Sept 05
• Second search committee meeting (reduce pool to
  20) Nov 05
• Third meeting (reduce pool from 20 to 7-10) Dec
  05
• Fourth meeting (interview top 7-10 reduce to
  3) Jan 06
• Non-public, confidential interviews for final 3
  Jan 06
• Conduct final interviews with board Jan 06
• Recommendation to board (call board meeting) Jan
  06

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Phase IV --- Decision/Transition

• Board selection (call board meeting) Jan 06
• Make job offer and negotiate Jan 06
• Public announcement Jan/Feb 06
• Launch Transition Efforts Feb 06
• President starts work July 06

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Summary

• 2.02. (a) NSU BOV By Laws The Boards
  most important responsibility is selection and
  oversight of the University President.
• We are committed to an inclusive and
  deliberative process in selecting NSUs next
  President.

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Search Contact Information

• Norfolk State University
• Presidential Search Committee
• P.O. Box 3267
• Hampton, VA 23663
• [phone]
• Mr. Jack L. Ezzell, Jr. (Search Committee Chair)
• Ms. Karla Johnson (Search Committee
  Administrator)
• PresidentialSearch_at_NSU.edu
• http//www.nsu.edu.board (under construction)