By Stephen Allan
Contributing Writer
USM is currently conducting a nationwide search to fill open dean positions in three of its eight schools and colleges.
The Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Steve Worchel and the Dean of the School of Business John Burt both left in June 2000, leaving two vacant positions that are being reopened after searches last year failed to find a suitable candidate. Worchel went on to conduct research at the University of Hawaii, while Burt left to become the first dean of the Graduate School of Public Affairs at the University of Missouri, Columbia.
A third position opened at the end of the spring semester when the Dean of the College of Education and Human Development, Richard Barnes, announced his resignation.
The College of Education’s opening is the fifth vacant dean position at the University in the past three years. The University of Maine System (UMS) Board of Trustees named Karl Braithwaite the new dean of the Muskie School of Public Service in July. In 2000, the board also hired John Wright as the dean of the School of Applied Science.
The search committee for the School of Business position did recommend a candidate to the provost in the spring, but that person ultimately turned down the position due to personal reasons, said Joseph Wood, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs.
Wood also stated that lack of qualified applicants has impeded filling the College of Arts and Sciences position.
“We weren’t confident enough to make an offer to any of the finalists,” said Wood. “In our academic judgement, the people still standing at the end of the search were not ready to exercise the leadership we are looking for.”
Where are the qualified applicants?
Many factors are leading to the difficulty of finding qualified applicants, said Wood. While salary negotiations were never discussed with potential candidates for the two positions last year, Wood admits that pay may be a factor and emphasized that competing nationally is important.
“We are presently paying them less than we should based on comparable institutions,” said Wood. “We need to be cognizant of the market in the discipline.”
Wood said that salaries are based on the qualifications of the applicant and what the market bears.
“It may be based on how much we want someone,” he added.
Some dean positions may pay better than others, said Linda Seidl, employment services specialist, Employment Services.
“Incomes are based on the market,” said Seidl. “The business position may pay more due to the nature of salaries of other business schools.”
Other factors also play into the selection of qualified applicants, such as competition from other schools.
There are no set salaries. Each individual must negotiate pay with the provost, she said.
Another reason for not receiving enough qualified applicants for the two openings may be due to the late start of searches last year, said Seidl. Search committees for those positions didn’t begin until last fall.
In spite of the late start, the call for applications for the College of Arts and Sciences position resulted in over 100 applicants.
“One of the advantages of the business dean search this year is that they are getting an early start,” said John Bay, interim dean for the School of Business. “Last year, it was the first of the fall semester before it was started and candidates were interviewed later in the spring than we would have liked.”
In addition to waiting for the person who will take over as dean for his school, Bay will also be heading the search committee for the dean of the College of Education and Human Development.
In contrast, the University received enough notice from the departing dean to form a search committee for the position at the end of the spring semester. Barnes will continue on as dean until a replacement is found.
Time is another factor in the search process, according to Wood.
“It is the habit of universities to be thorough,” said Wood. “We try to make it as democratic as we can.”
Even if a qualified person is found, that person may not be able to start until the following summer due to the nature of the academic calendar, he said. The search for a new dean for the Muskie School of Public Service started in September and didn’t end until the Board of Trustees announced Braithwaite’s appointment in July, said Wood.
In the meantime the two colleges will continue to run smoothly thanks to the interim deans, said Wood.
“One of the reasons I have the level of confidence to take the time to fill these positions is that I can depend on the good leadership from the interim deans,” said Wood.
In addition to Bay acting as interim dean for the School of Business, Francis McGrath is currently interim dean for the College of Arts and Sciences.
Searching for a dean
Filling vacant dean positions begins with the formation of a search committee, which is typically headed by a fellow dean from another college or school. Members are made up of administrative personnel, faculty and at least one student representative.
After receiving resumes from potential candidates, the committee will select approximately eight semi-finalists and conduct conference call interviews. From that pool, the committee will then select approximately three finalists for on-campus interviews. Those interviews may last a couple of days, as candidates meet with faculty, staff and students.
Recommendations for the position are forwarded from the committee to the provost, who then makes his recommendation to the president of the university. The president then makes his recommendation to the chancellor and the UMS Board of Trustees.
“The appointment in the end is the responsibility of the Board of Trustees,” said Wood.
All three positions will be advertised in the Chronicle for Higher Education, a leading national weekly journal of colleges and universities. Both the School of Business and the College of Arts and Sciences vacancies will appear in this week’s edition of the journal. The vacancy for the College of Education & Human Development will appear in the beginning of October.
Other advertising may be used according to each discipline, said Seidl. The University has also used higheredjobs.com in the past to post positions.
Contributing Writer Stephen Allan
can be contacted
at freepress@usm.maine.edu