UNC Greensboro is entering the final stages of the search process for its new chancellor. The University is struggling to balance keeping the search process open, while protecting the possible candidates.
It isn't legally required that the schools in the UNC system hold public searches for their top positions, but with the controversial firings at UNCG last year, there's been a call for openness in the search.
Susan Safran is the chair of the search committee and also of UNCG's Board of Trustees. She wants transparency, but she also wants the best candidates.
"If you go open, there are certain people that will not apply because they may be sitting presidents or chancellors or provosts with a high-profile job and if word gets out that they are even sticking their nose out anywhere else it could jeopardize their job,” says Safran.
She says they're using a hybrid search, an approach also followed by other universities and businesses. Safran expanded the search committee to include more of the different groups involved. She also added a lottery to select five more people for the final interviews to broaden the committee further.
But the hybrid search doesn't go far enough, according to Elizabeth Keathley a UNCG associate professor. She criticizes the process for limiting faculty to a few professors. She also says that she wants the final interviews to be open to all.
"I know that Susan Safran thinks she's doing the right thing, but I think the model that we're using is something that's for the corporate world, not for a public university."
The committee meets Wednesday in both open and closed sessions as they continue their search. They expect to finish in late May.
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