In order to attract qualified and diverse candidates, the College is working with a search consultant, explained Chair of the Search Committee for Dean of Students Professor Tekla Harms. With the search consultant, the committee has worked to advertise the open position to college administrators who are looking for jobs. “We are also being proactive in the sense of going out and talking to people who might not be looking for a new job,” she said. “If we discuss with them the wonderful challenges and opportunities at Amherst College, they might think about the job if they haven’t before.”
Both committees have held open meetings with faculty, staff and students to get input on what to look for in a candidate. Based on these meetings, “we’re looking for a dean who is experienced, has a good sense of humor, handles crises well, is a good communicator and is intimately immersed in the lives of students,” said Harms.
In addition to these general characteristics, the new Dean of Students should be well-suited to work at Amherst in particular. As one of the most diverse student bodies in the country, the College presents specific rewards and challenges. “The small size of the community means that no one can really escape the diversity. That brings people into conflict inevitably,” Harms explained. “We’re looking for someone who will rise to that challenge … someone who endorses it.”
Once they have evaluated all candidates and narrowed the field to a few finalists, the committees will again look for input from the college community. In addition to having students, staff and faculty evaluate these few candidates, Harms explained, these meetings will also be an opportunity to encourage the candidates to take the job offer. “I can’t emphasize to students enough that … this process depends on their participation,” she said. “It’s very important that students come out and, by the quality of their questions and interactions with them, persuade these top candidates to take the job.”
The Search Committee for Librarian of the College is also reviewing a broad range of candidates. While many top candidates for this position are expected to come from academic environments, Call explained that some may also come from other institutions, such as municipal libraries. Above all, “it will be important to have a new librarian that will bring a vision for the future of the library,” said Call. “[The library] is at the core of our teaching and scholarship.”
The committee is looking for candidates who will maintain the library as an important asset to the College community and keep on top of recent innovations. “We’re very fortunate to have a great team of librarians who serve the students and faculty well,” Call said. “There are a lot of developments in terms of how information is shared and how the library will evolve [in accordance with these changes].”
Call hopes to have candidates on campus in the fall for evaluation by and interaction with the College community. “Ideally, the goal would be to hire people for the beginning of the fall semester.”
“We will move forward as expeditiously as possible,” said Harms, “but not so quickly that the process is compromised.”