The search committee for the new vice president for student affairs has narrowed its decision to four candidates after roughly 40 applicants expressed interest in the position.
Ruth Prescott, search committee head, said the position was advertised in professional journals, on the MSU Web site and through national higher education sites.
“We advertised in the Chronicle of Higher Education, Black Issues in Higher Education and online,” Prescott said. “Also, the student affairs units across the nation are quite active. They have a Web site, and we advertised on it.”
Prescott said she also made personal calls and visits to people she knew personally.
“I made phone calls to my colleagues around the nation, and I visited other universities in our region to solicit ideas and names of potential candidates for this position,” Prescott said.
President Charles Lee appointed the committee in early October. Lee said he chose the committee members because he wanted representation from each of the parts of the university that would be working with the new vice president.
“I tried to identify individuals to represent the people involved most in student affairs,” Lee said.
Student Association President Josh Blades was chosen to be one of the search committee members.
“The vice president for student affairs is the most important administrative position, as far as students are concerned,” Blades said. “Without someone in that position who believes in students and supports the students, we couldn’t have events like the Bulldog Bash.”
Lee said the university seeks to find values and leadership development in addition to knowledge.
“That is where Student Affairs comes in. It is very important in helping students develop their ideas and decide their views on certain issues, Lee said.
The duties of the new vice president of student affairs will be to oversee the entire Division of Student Affairs, which includes admissions, enrollment, housing and residence life, recreational sports, financial aid and scholarships, international services and student life.
The vice president will also oversee the Colvard Student Union, Counseling and Testing Services, the Holmes Cultural Diversity Center, Longest Student Health Center, Sexual Assault Services, Student Support Services and the University Police.
“When you boil everything down, it is the faculty and the students that make up the university,” Prescott said. “Our product is the students, and who we have in this position will organize the programs that will help students develop beyond the classroom.”
Lee said he is looking for the candidate who will put the students first and enrich the student affairs program.
“I am interested in finding someone who has the right temperament and a passion for the welfare of students,” Lee said. “I’m also looking at the future of student affairs and what resources each candidate would bring to the program, because I would ultimately like for MSU to have the very finest student program in the U.S.”
Prescott said the committee discussed criteria that they believed the vice president of student affairs should possess early in the process.
“We developed criteria based on the job description, and based on our meeting with Dr. Lee where he told us what he was looking for,” Prescott said. “Then when the advertising period shut down, we took the evaluation tool we had developed and analyzed the vitas compared to it.”
“Obviously we need a VP with vision and the leadership to take that vision and do something with it,” Blades said. “It’s important that we have an administrator who will work for students, and who won’t be scared to make changes to benefit students and MSU.”
Prescott said that from that, the committee narrowed the applicants down to seven. Those seven met with the committee in an “airport interview” in Atlanta.
“We got to hear their philosophies, although in an abbreviated version,” Prescott said. “It also gave them a chance to ask us questions because at that point they were still interviewing us.”
After the interviews in Atlanta, four final candidates were chosen. The four finalists are now in the stages of visiting the MSU campus to meet with organization representatives and students.
One candidate, Kenneth Chatman visited campus yesterday and today. Mary Lynn Williamson will visit Thursday and Friday, William Kibler will be on campus next Monday and Tuesday and Charles Schroeder will visit Feb. 22-23.
“All are uniquely qualified and all have held student affairs positions before,” Prescott said.
Interim Vice President for Student Affairs Jimmy Abraham said he is confident that the new vice president will be adequately qualified.
“The screening committee has done a great job identifying candidates who have outstanding credentials,” Abraham said. “We are excited about meeting the candidates to discuss their ideas and goals for the university.”
Each candidate will hold an open forum in the library auditorium for students to ask questions and express their opinions on what MSU needs from a vice president.
Lee said he encourages students to attend the forums and provide feedback, either directly to him or the search committee members.
“The students will have a great deal of impact on the decision,” Lee said. “I would like to see the students participate in the interviews and to express their opinions on each of the candidates.”
“The students are the constituents in this so we definitely want for them to attend the forums and we want their input,” Prescott said.
In addition to Prescott, who is Assistant Vice President to the Provost, and Blades the search committee includes College of Arts and Sciences Associate Dean Gary Myers, Student Support Services Assistant Director Julie Berry, Dean of Students Mike White, Alumni Association Assistant Director Libba Andrews, Holmes Cultural Diversity Center Director Aretha Jones-Cook, mechanical engineering professor Keith Hodge, psychology professor Nancy McCarley, Athletic Director Larry Templeton, Financial Aid and Scholarships Director Bruce Crain and Office of Institutional Research Director Gary Pike.