GAMBIER — The search for the next president of Kenyon College is underway and the search committee is seeking input from the Kenyon community.
On Friday evening, several members of the committee hosted a forum in Rosse Hall to both outline the search process and listen to what students, staff and faculty members had to say.
The search committee is comprised of trustees, students, former students, administrators and staff members. “All have enormous affection for Kenyon,” said search chairman Brackett Denniston. “Enormous respect for its culture and its traditions and great dedication to ensuring the entire Kenyon community gets a spectacular new leader.”
Denniston said the committee truly desires to hear from the different constituencies in the Kenyon community and has had meetings with the senior staff, representatives from faculty, student leaders and others.
He said as part of the outreach effort, the committee will also be surveying large segments of the Kenyon community, including alumni, faculty, students and others.
The executive search firm Storbeck Pimentel and Associates has been engaged to assist the committee in its task, “the most important duty of the board of trustees,” according to board chairman Barry Schwartz.
Shelly Storbeck, managing partner, explained her firm’s role in the process. “First of all, we advise you on the [search] process, because so many decisions have to be made,” she said. “Most importantly we are here to make sure that great candidates are recruited through the process.”
She asked the audience to share their thoughts about three particular questions:
1. What would attract candidates to Kenyon, why are you all here and why should someone come here and join you?
2. What challenges does somebody face?
3. What kind of candidates are we looking for? What kind of professional profile, background and experience as well as personal qualities?
Audience members were at first slow to respond, then stepped up to the microphone.
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