There are about nine weeks left in the search to replace UNC Greensboro Chancellor Linda Brady, who is retiring in July after seven years on the job.
Her tenure included a high-profile uproar that arose on campus last fall after three long-time employees were abruptly fired.
Susan Safran is a chair of UNCG's board of trustees and also leads the search committee for Brady's replacement. She says the controversial firings left what she called a sense of injury at the university. But she says it also sparked a conversation that helped drive a series of search committee meetings across the state.
“We did get hit hard last fall – it was very dispiriting for me. We got through it, we're certainly not over it. But there was an energy and a hope I was seeing in these meetings about the next chapter in UNCG and the leadership that's provided.”
She says among the traits the committee is looking for is a team player with a pioneering approach to higher education, a collaborative spirit with the community and a strong commitment to engaging the faculty and staff.
“Hopefully this [is the] type of individual that can mobilize all constituents to move forward with UNCG. I think we've been mired in the past a little bit and it's time to open up.”
About 20 have applied to become the next chancellor at UNCG. Safran says the committee will winnow down the field down to three finalists and expects the new chancellor to be named on May 22nd.
Three people in the university relations office - two photographers and their supervisor - were fired in August amid accusations that they co-mingled their university jobs with a private freelance business. They also faced felony charges for a while, but the charges were eventually dropped. Many in the university responded to the firings with outrage, including a silent vigil on campus.
Brady told WFDD last fall that the timing of her decision to retire had nothing to do with the response to the firings.
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