Minnesota State University, Mankato
Presidential Search Committee

Communiqué #1 to the Campus Community
from President Wilson G. Bradshaw, Committee Chair

        In order to help keep the university community and alumni and friends of the university apprised of the progress of the search for the next president of Minnesota State University, Mankato, I will issue a communiqué after each meeting of the search committee. Later this summer, the university will create a web-site dedicated to publicizing current information about the progress of the search process. This communiqué and those that follow will be posted on the web-site.

        This first communiqué includes information about the following: the roster of committee members and their affiliations; the timeline planned for committee meetings and key phases of the search process; the tasks assigned to a subcommittee for Summer 2001; plans for a presidential search website.

        The first working meeting of the presidential search committee was held on Wednesday, May 16th. Tasks accomplished at this meeting are reflected below. The committee's first working meeting was followed by a public meeting on campus, at which the search committee was introduced to the university community and the search timeline was summarized. (Another public meeting will be held after faculty and students have returned to campus for the fall semester.)

Subcommittee roster:

• Wilson Bradshaw
• Chris Boyce
• Jane Earley
• Gretta Handke
• Joel Jensen
• Malcolm O'Sullivan

Subcommittee assignments:

• Draft position announcement for committee review
• National publication of position announcement
• Draft interview questions for committee review;
• Draft rating sheet for committee review;
• Draft institutional search budget for committee review;
• Review proposals from search consulting firms;
• Select search firm to meet with committee;

        The committee has decided to retain a consulting firm to assist with the presidential search. Other MnSCU universities have used national consultants in recent presidential searches, with excellent results. A search firm helps identify and recruit high-quality candidates who may not respond to advertisements or may not be nominated. They add an additional degree of confidentiality in the eyes of some candidates, and help retain high-demand candidates in the pool through the duration of the process. Professional firms can also assist with more in-depth background checks of final candidates, if needed. The MnSCU system office helps with the cost of a consulting search firm.

Presidential Search website (linked to MSU website), anticipated launch:
• July 2001
Next communiqué from Search Committee Chair:

• September 14, 2001