When Tom Stritikus announced his intention to resign after six years serving as Fort Lewis College’s president, the Board of Trustees went into action.
Their first task? To identify an interim president. That decision came quickly. Steve Schwartz, then vice president for finance and administration, and a 27-year history with the college, was an easy choice.
The difference between previous and the current search is that for the first time in the college’s history it will be a confidential rather than an open process, to which the greater community has grown accustomed.
That means the search committee will select a single finalist to bring to campus for two weeks this spring; previous searches brought up to three before a final selection was made..
In the interest of community transparency, the board held a public meeting on Aug. 29 at which it did unanimously approve a confidential search. Not all colleges embrace this practice, some not making that decision public until the conclusion of the search.
The reason for the confidential vs. open search? The search firm selected, including several members who have the advantage of being involved in the search for President Stritikus and great familiarity with FLC, advised so.
“The industry standard has changed in the past seven years. A confidential search would deliver a greater pool of candidates. Consultants have advised that the college would lose up to 50% of applicants if an open search,” said Mary Rubadeau, chair of the Board of Trustees.
Some may remember Brad Bartel’s presidency became awkward when it became public that he was seeking another post. He ended up not getting the job while remaining at FLC and had to continually reassure the campus and community that he was committed to both.
The Board’s goal, of course, is to find the most qualified candidate to build on the successes of the past and take the college to new heights. This new approach is understandable with this goal in mind, but it omits broader community involvement that can make for a stronger community foundation with the person who is selected for the job.
The 15-member Presidential Search Committee includes one community representative, Jason Portz, incoming FLC Foundation Board chair and Bank of Colorado market president..
The committee believes a series of 14 listening sessions conducted in September was sufficient to inform the search process. During those meetings, the search committee solicited input from faculty, staff, students, the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Councils, the FLC Foundation Board and the public.
Only three of those sessions were billed as for the community, one virtual in the middle of a weekday, one for community partners only and one on campus. With community engagement as a goal, that was lacking.
Even though the sessions are complete, reach out to Portz with your thoughts about the next president. More information about the process including the Presidential Prospectus, as well as a form to submit candidate nominations, can be viewed at https://www.fortlewis.edu/presidentialsearch/.
