CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – The UVA Board of Visitors’ 10th Presidential Search Special Committee has set an October 7 meeting date as they move toward a late November goal to interview candidates for the position. The meat of the meeting is in closed session where the committee has schedule 2-hours-and-30 minutes “first presentation of candidates”.
Their second meeting was a little over a week ago when the committee in open session heard feedback from consultant John Issaacson with Isaacson Miller Executive Search firm garnered from listening sessions and a web survey.
At that meeting, Isaacson said, “The historic strength of the University, and the loyalty of its students, faculty, and alumni have provided a foundation of a search that shows up in the both the way in which these listening sessions have occurred, the speed with which they have occurred, the strength of them, the clarify to the response,” Isaacson said.
He said that speed has simultaneously led to potential candidates which the committee was getting to for their closed session.
This coming meeting, the agenda calls for another ‘state of the search’ report from Isaacson, more outreach session reports, and continued crafting of a Presidential profile in open session, followed by the long closed session.
They’ll close in quick open session with “continued community engagement” and outlining upcoming meetings. They closed the September 22 meeting with Vice Rector Porter Wilkinson stating plans for an October meeting, which is this upcoming meeting, and another in early November before tentatively interviewing candidates later that month.
At a break in the September 22 meeting, sociology professor Ian Mullins with the UVA United Campus Workers of Virginia chapter said, “I think it’s really important to think that if the BOV really wants to lower the temperature, then they actually have to do the repair work that’s required to lower the temperature.”
He’s called for starting the process over by recomprising this committee.
Dr. Mullins complained we still don’t know why Jim Ryan resigned, or how or why members were selected for this committee, nor why it’s necessary to make a Presidental selection in such an abbreviated 4-to-6-months’ time.
“They can’t just expect the community to pretend like this is business as usual, and to force a candidate through that is going to walk into a situation where they are not set up to succeed.”
“We all want what best for UVA, we all care about this place, and we want to work with them, but they actually have to meet us halfway,” Mullins said.
