The search for a new vice president for campus life and student services is well underway, though behind the schedule President Ruth Simmons set last fall that called for an announcement in early April. Candidates on a shortlist are slated to visit campus before the end of the month.
"Now it looks like we will have recommendations to (Simmons) by the end of the month," said Ann Dill, associate professor of sociology and chair of the committee, composed of administrators, faculty members and students, to find a vice president for campus life and student services. Russell Carey '91 MA'06 is currently filling the position as an interim.
Dill declined to comment on any specifics about the candidates for reasons of confidentiality, saying that the committee has yet to even contact the candidates' references.
"We are in the place ... where the only people who know the candidates are candidates are the candidates and us," Dill said.
Carey will begin in a new position, senior vice president for Corporation affairs and governance, beginning July 1. He will be involved in developing University-wide policy initiatives in areas like public safety and environmental management, as well as managing risk avoidance and Corporation affairs.
The campus life and student services vice president oversees the Office of Student Life and other aspects of students services on campus. Carey was appointed to a two-year interim term after former vice president David Greene left for the University of Chicago in 2006. Simmons told Carey he could either apply for the permanent campus life position or accept the Corporation affairs and governance job, according to a Feb. 6 article in The Herald. Carey chose to accept the new post.
Dill said the short-listed candidates will visit campus this month to meet with "various constituencies" on campus, including representatives from student groups and from the staff of Campus Life and Student Services. She said these groups have played an important role throughout the selection process.
"In order to filter through the applicants, we talked with (student and staff representatives), and came up with a pretty clear consensus about the criteria that we are looking for in the person who will fill this position," Dill said.
The candidate should be "first and foremost very attuned with the Brown culture," Dill said, describing the ideal candidate for the position. "There needs to be a presence of this person on campus and accessibility."
The ideal candidate would possess not only the management skills and experience necessary but also have "creativity and intelligence in bringing new ideas about how to link academics and co-curricular life."
"We are not looking for a manager - we have great managers in these offices," Dill said. "We are looking for someone with CEO-level skills, and (who) has creativity and vision that would be consistent with the Brown culture."
"That's a tall order," Dill said. "We know we're asking for a lot ... (but) I am extremely pleased with the candidates that we have, and I think we will all be happy with the outcome."
