Thursday, January 06, 2011

The Chancellor Search Committee of the University of North Carolina Wilmington met today, Jan. 2, 2011, at 9 a.m. by conference call for an update on the status of the search process.

The committee and Parker Executive Search continued their activities related to the recruitment of a new UNCW chancellor during the university's holiday break, advertising the position vacancy in numerous publications. The position was posted on UNCW's website and Parker Executive Search's website as well as advertised in the Chronicle of Higher Education, Diverse Issues in Higher Education, Women in Higher Education and Hispanic Outlook. An ad also is planned for Inside Higher Ed, and the search firm will continue its goal of reaching out to more than 20 people each day to generate even more interest.

To date, UNCW has received 18 nominations for the position; 12 individuals have committed to the process. While the committee is pleased with the level of activity that has transpired so far, committee Chair Wendy Murphy said she anticipates that the search process will gain significant momentum as universities across the country go back into session after their holiday breaks.

"I am very encouraged by the size of the pool and the quality of applicants so far, especially given the fact that the advertisements really started only this month," she said. "With the strengths and reputation of this university, this is an excellent job opportunity, and it's clear that candidates are recognizing that."

Murphy said an initial round of interviews is planned to begin around the middle of March 2011, with another series of interviews in late March or early April. Ongoing updates will be provided on the Chancellor Search website at http://uncw.edu/chancellorsearch/index.html.

The Search Committee's next meeting is a conference call, scheduled for 9 a.m., January 20.

Media contact:
Dana Fischetti, media relations manager, 910.508.3127 or fischettid@uncw.edu