As the search for Illinois State University's next president continues, the campus community shared their thoughts on the qualities they believe the next president should have.
The search is still on as Board of Trustees members, along with the help of search firm Wittkieffer, are finding a candidate to fill the role as president.
As President Larry Dietz leaves office in June of 2021, Wittkieffer has been hired to help find the appropriate candidate. Wittkieffer has asked Trustees members to find qualities and fit that can keep the school community bonded while transition of presidential roles occur.
Board Chairperson Julie Annette Jones expressed the importance of taking a little time when it comes to what the Wittkieffer search firm is looking to find from members of the search committee.
“One of the things I’m looking for is someone who has a vision for the future of ISU, someone who’s innovative because things have changed in higher education,” Jones said.
“Some of that is related to what we’re dealing with in the pandemic, and some of it is just related to how higher education has evolved since I was a student at ISU.”
Jones looks to find a leader who can fill Dietz’s shoes and have the ability to remain strong and steady through the challenges faced.
While the university transitions out of the pandemic phase, members seek a leader to keep the university community confident while treading through rough waters.
“The future in higher education looks like, not someone who is reactionary and waiting for things to happen then adapting to them as they happen but someone who has a vision,” Jones said.
“But thought about what they think higher education is going to look like and how they can continue to make ISU relevant in that landscape and to look for a decisive leader.”
Search team Wittkieffer, having experienced filling the Provost and Athletic Director’s university position, has created listening sessions throughout the campus to get feedback from the whole campus community.
Looking to select around 60 to 70 candidates in six to eight weeks, Smith wants to gather about 15 “A” candidates who would have the best potential to take over as president.
Along with the listening session, search committee members will have an email address available for questions and comments. A website will also be at its disposal to keep people posted on the search status, working together as a community.
“It’s hard to attract what you want to attract if you’re not letting people know what it is you’re looking for. That is one of the purposes for these listening sessions, is for them to get a good idea what our campus is like and what are our campus points of pride,” Jones said.
The students at the university are an essential factor in searching for a new president suitable for a diverse, equitable and inclusive campus. Many students believe that the next president should reflect this and ISU’s core values.
“The next president of ISU should reflect the university core values including respect, integrity and inclusion. Not only should they support those values in what they say, but they should also work to ensure those values are put into practice in every classroom and program on campus,” junior tour guide Abby Nelson said.
The search committee contains over 30 individuals to create inclusive governance. Donahue believes that this is important when it comes to being there for ISU students.
“A lot of universities talk about shared governance, but ISU really has that and I think that’s important that we keep that. Let’s not forget what we are there for, we’re there for the students,” Trustee Rocky Donahue said. “The president has to ensure we have student success and development of our academic enterprise.”
The strong team and oriented culture that has been built at ISU continues to develop a diverse pool of applicants to consider when running for president.
When it comes to diversity, many students seek similar qualities for the future president and share similar thoughts to the Board of Trustees.
“I would want the president to communicate effectively with students and hear their needs and work hard to implement them, listen to all concerns or thoughts that come from students, and acknowledge those publicly,” biology education major Brian McIntyre said.
“The morals that President Dietz represents are moderately progressive, and the next president should mirror this.”
Jones went on to discuss the collaborative nature of how ISU works make it feel like family.
“We’re all working towards the same goal regardless of whether it’s the Board of Trustees, whether it’s student representation, whether it’s faculty, whether it’s staff, whether it’s community [or] whether it’s family. We should all be working together in a collaborative effort to attract the best candidate we can to retain,” Jones said.
“It’s a big task, but it’s an exciting task to look back in some years later and say wow, I was instrumental in allowing the success of the university to continue.”
Going on to explain any fault that has been placed on Dietz in the past is not what defines his role as a president at ISU. This is as he has seemed to impress his fellow board members agreeing with Donahue’s remarks.
“The qualities I specifically will be honing in and making sure that the new president can advance Illinois State’s vision, and have a steady, productive leadership style and can continue to move our university forward,” Donahue said.
“We have incredible culture at ISU, and I want to ensure that the new president understands that culture and can not only work with that culture but dive into that culture and supports that culture, especially when it comes to shared governance.”
Donahue went on to express the issue of diversity on campus and stressed not only finding a president who can walk the walk but talk the talk and is focused on the success of students who attend ISU.
Along with fellow members on the board, the search committee wants to be a welcoming and more diverse campus to succeed in the community and student success.
“I think it’s a well-blended and well-rounded committee where we’re going to get to hear all sides of once important from various groups’ alumni faculty,” Donahue said.
Regulators authorized AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine for use in adults throughout the European Union on Friday, amid criticism the bloc is not moving fast enough to vaccinate its population.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A former FBI lawyer was sentenced to probation for altering an email that the Justice Department relied on during its surveillance of an aide to President Donald Trump during the Russia investigation.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Tony Evers lashed out Friday at rival Republicans who tried to repeal his statewide mask mandate, saying killing the order would be a ridiculous move comparable to abolishing speed limits.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — As some conservatives in South Carolina celebrated getting a bill that would ban almost all abortions in the state past a legislative barrier and likely becoming law, they said they are not finished trying to end all abortions.
A Moscow court on Friday put the brother and several allies of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny under house arrest for two months as authorities sought to stymie more protests over the jailing of the top Kremlin foe.