January 5 2009

To:         Members of the College Community
Cc:         Board of Trustees

From:   Bob Duelks ’77
Chair of the Presidential Search Committee and Trustee

Date:     January 5, 2009
Subject:   Update on the Presidential Search 

Dear Members of the Gettysburg College Community,

I am writing today to update you on our continued progress in the search for the next president of Gettysburg College. Since the last update on December 1, the Search Committee has conducted interviews with 12 highly qualified candidates at an off-site location as well as initial reference checking.  Members of the Committee were very impressed with all of the candidates and the lively exchange that took place during the interviews.  The quality, capabilities, varying backgrounds and accomplishments of the candidates made it even more difficult to narrow the list. 

The Committee worked very hard and collaboratively to successfully identify a subset of the 12 candidates for second-round interviewing to occur in January at another off-site location. Additional and more in-depth reference checking as well as the validation of publications and other CV materials will also take place in January.  We are at a very critical point in the process and much intensive work remains to be done before the Committee’s work is completed.
Subsequent to the additional interviews, we intend to invite the final candidates to campus to meet with some members of the college community.  At this time I must remind everyone that it is possible a given candidate may request their candidacy not be made public.  This can present a challenge in getting the candidate in front of as many constituents as we would like.  I will keep you posted as we progress further in this regard.  The Search Committee remains committed to making the search as inclusive and open as we possibly can without compromising our charge of “finding and recruiting the best possible candidate.”

In recognition of the fact some candidates may have varying requests for confidentiality we have formed a sub-committee tasked with the objective of designing an appropriate and respectful schedule for the on-campus interviews/meetings.  The members of the Campus Visit Sub-Committee are Jean Potuchek, Dan McCall, Scott Hancock and Kris Stuempfle  (the four faculty members of the Search Committee);  Patti Lawson, (representative from the College’s administrative staff also on the Search Committee); Peter Seiden, Vice Chair of the Search Committee and me as Chair of the Search Committee.  Members of this sub-committee may be contacting you as we finalize the design of the candidates’ visits to campus. 
In closing, I want to ensure everyone of the high stature with which our College operates and is admired.  The interviews and the overall process related to this search have confirmed that Gettysburg College is a special place, made up of special people doing extraordinary things.

On behalf of my colleagues on the Presidential Search Committee, I wish you and your family a happy, healthy, safe and peaceful 2009. We greatly appreciate your trust and support as we remain on schedule to present our recommendation to the Board of Trustees later this winter.

Sincerely,
Bob Duelks ‘77