When University President John DiBiaggio announced plans to resign last month, it kicked off a comprehensive, worldwide search process aiming to select a replacement by June 2002. The University Trustees, who are responsible for hiring and firing presidents, will meet early next month to begin this search.
"The process is Trustee-driven, as it is at every university," said Provost Sol Gittleman. "The most important thing the Trustees do is select a president."
While the Trustees are ultimately entrusted with picking the right candidate for the job, they will solicit input from all members of the Tufts community. "There is a tradition at Tufts that the process is open, comprehensive, and involves most, if not all, of the necessary constituents," said Vice President of Arts, Sciences, and Technology Mel Bernstein.
A trustee screening committee including students, faculty members, and administrators will spearhead the search. The group will be formed sometime over the next two weeks and will soon begin gathering nominations and suggestions, collecting names, and creating a pool of hundreds of potential applicants.
"They throw out a net and catch as many big fish as you can get," Gittleman said. He added that nominees usually include politicians, scientists, leading academics, and business people.
While leadership ability, communication skills, and academic visibility are all important qualities for a university president, both Bernstein and Gittleman acknowledged that fundraising is one of the job's most important functions.
"It's going to have to be somebody who enjoys raising money, because these days, that's what presidents do," Gittleman said. Bernstein agreed, citing the ability to raise funds as a skill "that you look for in all presidents."
The screening committee will eventually employ an executive search, or "head hunting" firm, to narrow down the list of nominees to a smaller group of finalists. The firm will advertise in academic publications, such as The Chronicle of Higher Education, and solicit applications from all over the world.
"Along with a search firm, the objective is to locate appropriate candidates, do a screening and recommend a group of candidates to the trustees," said Trustee Erwin Heller, who is organizing the search. Heller declined to comment on the specific qualities that will be important for the next Tufts president, but pointed out that the search would be a comprehensive, drawn-out process that will eventually narrow the slate down to three or four candidates. Once this happens, the Trustees will make the final selection.
"A president is not about to be selected over the weekend," Heller said.
There has also been much speculation about whether Bernstein might either seek the job in light of DiBiaggio's planned retirement, or leave for another university. The vice president denied rumors that he is applying for presidencies at other universities.
"I've always wanted to be the point guard for the Knicks," Bernstein responded jokingly when asked if he had applied for any positions elsewhere. "I've always loved it here. I'm committed to this University."
Gittleman dispelled hearsay of a different sort, as rumors have circulated that he will be leaving along with DiBiaggio. He said that he will allow the new president to decide if he should continue serving as provost.
"If he wants me to stay, I'll stay," Gittleman said. "[Tufts] is where I'll finish out my career. I've had a terrific time with John DiBiaggio, he's been a terrific president and a terrific mentor for me. I serve at the pleasure of the President, and I will continue to serve. I've had a great run."
Presidential searches are very frequent occurrences in the academic world, where the average tenure of a university president lasts only six or seven years. Of approximately 4,000 colleges and universities in the nation, it is estimated that just under 10 percent are conducting top administrative searches at any given time.
