Monday, December 09, 2002

WILMINGTON – The Chancellor Search Committee at the University of

North Carolina at Wilmington today released summary information about

the candidate pool following its meeting Dec. 6 to screen and review

applicants received by the initial screening date of Nov. 27.

According to Sam Connally, director of human resources at UNCW and

secretary to the search committee, the committee has to date received

approximately 135 applications or nominations, of whom 85 have declared

their formal candidacy.

Of this group of 85, 20 percent are sitting presidents or chancellors, 40

percent are sitting provosts, and approximately 20 percent consist of

academic deans, department chairs, or academic center directors.

Approximately 20 percent are from the non-traditional sector,

representing businesses or public service organizations.

A preliminary review suggests that 20 percent of the candidates are

women and at least 10 percent are minority candidates.

The search committee plans to narrow the pool to 35 before the holidays.

By Jan. 9, based on additional background information, including

institutional profiles, the committee expects to have identified the top

10-12 candidates for screening interviews with will occur in late January.

From this pool, the committee will select the top five or six candidates for

formal interviews which will occur in February.

The UNCW Board of Trustees is expected to receive the search

committee’s recommendations in a special called meeting March 3, 2003,

in time for President Molly Broad and the UNC Board of Governors to

make a decision at the March 21 meeting. Board of Governor’s guidelines

call for the trustees to submit the names of at least two candidates for

their consideration.

Search committee chair and UNCW Trustee Larry Dagenhart commented,

“Both our search consultant, with over 20 years in the higher education

search business, and the search committee, were extremely pleased, both

with the number and caliber of individuals who voiced interest in serving

as UNCW’s next chancellor. The strength and quality of the candidate

pool is itself a positive reflection on UNC Wilmington’s growing

reputation as an undergraduate educational institution of note.”

The candidate pool is a result of a national ad campaign to recruit

candidates and a conscious effort to ensure broad outreach.

Advertisements were placed in the Chronicle of Higher Education,

Black Issues in Higher Education, Women in Higher Education, and

Hispanic Outlook. In addition, 3,000 individual letters went out over

President Molly Broad’s signature to chancellors and provosts of every

comprehensive I university in the United States, as well as chancellors of

public and private baccalaureate institutions and provosts of doctoral I

institutions.