News & Updates
Presidential Search Update
October 4, 2012
Dear Members of the Smith Community,
With the semester well under way, I want to provide an update on the progress of the presidential search. For all of you who have communicated with us, either directly or through the website, our most sincere thanks. The committee has read every comment and every nomination. Your input has been crucial to our efforts.
The summer was a time of intense activity for the search committee, working with the help of our consultants from Isaacson, Miller. We defined the mandate of the next president in a bold and aspirational prospectus that you can find on our website. We are very excited about the pool of candidates who are attracted by Smith’s current strengths and future potential. They come from a range of fields and a diversity of leadership experiences, honed at institutions and organizations around the world. We look forward to getting to know them more fully as we move into the interview phase.
Knowing how much you care for Smith, I realize you are eager for more detailed information. I have to underscore that confidentiality, especially at this stage, is vital in recruiting and retaining the best candidates. I can tell you that we are on schedule for the timetable we have set for ourselves and I expect to be back to you promptly when I have more information.
It is an honor to chair the search committee, which includes an outstanding group representing trustees, faculty, staff and students. Each is highly committed to a strong and vibrant Smith in the 21st century. It is a pleasure for all of us to represent the Smith community in this important leadership search. I welcome your continued feedback, as do the committee members; you can reach us at presidentialsearch@smith.edu or via this website.
Sincerely,
Louise Parent ’72, Vice Chair, Board of Trustees
Chair, Presidential Search Committee
Isaacson, Miller Selected as Counsel to Smith’s Presidential Search
Smith College’s presidential search committee has engaged the firm of Isaacson, Miller to assist in finding the college’s next president. Founded in 1982, with offices in Boston and Washington, Isaacson, Miller undertakes nationwide searches for a variety of organizations, including leading universities, research institutes, academic medical centers, foundations, and cultural institutions. John Isaacson, founder of the firm, and his colleague Jane Gruenebaum, will work closely with the presidential search committee to identify and recruit a pool of exceptional candidates for consideration.
Announcing the Formation of the Search Committee
January 24, 2012
Dear Members of the Smith Community,
This year, we begin the important process of selecting the next president of Smith College, to succeed Carol Christ when she completes her term in June 2013.
As chair of the search committee, I am pleased to announce its members, 12 individuals of diverse responsibilities, constituencies, and expertise who will work together to serve the best interests of the college and its future. (The student member will be appointed shortly, through nominations and self-nominations.) The committee’s charge is this: to recommend to the Board of Trustees an exemplary candidate to serve as the 11th president of Smith College.
Smith College has an extraordinary tradition of effective and inspirational leadership. We seek an individual of significant professional and personal accomplishment who can lead our college with vision and distinction. The person we choose must possess a vision for Smith that will both sustain the college as a premier institution of higher education and expand its global impact.
On behalf of the committee, I invite you to collaborate in the search process by nominating qualified applicants. A web site will be launched soon to convey news of the search to the Smith community and to potential candidates. In the meantime, I invite you to submit nominations to presidentialsearch@smith.edu. All nominations will be kept confidential and given serious consideration. I look forward to your help in this important work and to keeping you and all members of the Smith community, on campus and around the world, informed on our progress.
Sincerely,
Louise Parent ’72, Vice Chair, Board of Trustees
Chair, Presidential Search Committee
