When Chancellor Holden Thorp hired Bruce Carney to become the full-time provost in 2010, he vowed that when Carney decided to step down, a better method of administrative hiring would be in place.
That pledge came on the heels of a search that cost the University $144,700 to pull in four candidates from across the country. But Thorp opted instead for a man working right down the hall — Carney, the interim provost and not one of the candidates.
More than two years later, Carney has announced plans to step down.
But weeks after the announcement, there is no indication that Thorp has made good on his word.
“I’ve realized since 2009 that the whole process will go smoother if I let the search committee make the decisions and talk amongst themselves about how they want to go about the search,” Thorp said.
Thorp sent an email to students and faculty Thursday announcing he had assembled a 21-member committee — composed of students, faculty, staff and members of the Board of Trustees — to conduct a comprehensive search for Carney’s replacement.
How that committee will carry out the search remains largely undecided.
The first decision that will be left entirely up to the committee will be whether to hire an external search firm.
Relying on headhunting firms to compile a broad, nationwide search for external candidates is a common practice in higher education hiring.
But hiring such firms comes at no small price.
