Dear Nazareth University Community,
I am pleased to provide you with an update regarding the University’s presidential search. I want to share with you that we believe that the search is proceeding well. The search committee has been working well together; they are committed and have demonstrated a strong chemistry.
We spent the early part of the fall semester reaching out to multiple constituencies on campus – over 20 meetings with faculty, staff, students, administrators, alumni, local business leaders, and political leaders.
Over the course of the last few months, we advertised the position and aggressively contacted over 600 prospective candidates for this position, and we have received and reviewed credentials on approximately 100 individuals. The candidates represent a very diverse pool – sitting and former presidents, vice presidents, and deans from higher education, leaders from not-for-profits, business, and political leaders. Throughout the search, committee members had full access to all candidates’ credentials.
In November and December, the committee met to conduct preliminary screenings of prospective candidates and to identify individuals for face-to-face interviews. The committee has spent the last few weeks engaged in extensive interviews, referencing, and the vetting of candidates. Of the total applicant pool of approximately 100 candidates, the committee focused our review on the top 30 strongest applications and narrowed the group to 11 candidates, with whom the committee has conducted initial interviews. That group was narrowed further to a smaller group, with whom we held more intensive second round interviews, which we completed earlier this month. The search committee met with the Board of Trustees last week to complete our charge to present a final slate of candidates for their consideration.
As we have shared previously, in order to attract the most qualified candidates, the committee and the Board of Trustees have agreed to a confidential search process, and therefore we are unable to provide the community at-large with any identifying information about the candidates. We do anticipate that our final candidates will visit campus and will meet with small groups of key University stakeholders who represent the entire Nazareth community. Those who have been invited were identified through extensive consultations with faculty, staff, students, and administrative groups. Those stakeholders invited to participate in these meetings have all signed confidentiality agreements as well. These stakeholders will provide feedback directly to the Board of Trustees.
The committee is mindful that the final selection of Nazareth’s next president is ultimately up to the Board of Trustees, and we have full faith and confidence that the Board of Trustees has a strong slate of candidates to choose from.
I would like to share my heartfelt thanks and appreciation for the members of the search committee. You would all be proud of how this group represented Nazareth at every step in this process. The members of the search committee willingly dedicated hours and days to this process and I want to acknowledge the hard work, the energy, and the time that each member of the search committee has given. I believe that this process has truly brought out the best in Naz and at every stage, each member of the committee has had an opportunity to share their view and all opinions were respected.
Although we have attempted to be as transparent as possible about the progress of the search, a search of this sort requires great confidentiality concerning the names of the candidates themselves. We want to assure you that the search is on track, and we appreciate the trust that has been placed in us for this important work.
Sergio Esteban
Chair, Nazareth University Presidential Search Committee