Camosun College has started the search for a new college president. Utilizing executive search consultants Davies Park (who have four offices in Canada, the closest one being in Vancouver), the college hopes to select the new president by March of 2015.
At a recent meeting held at Camosun to seek input from the college community, Davies Park partner Tony Kirschner said that the process will be “as transparent and inclusive as possible.”
Nancy Sly, who is on Camosun’s board of governors and is the faculty representative on the presidential search committee, agrees with Kirschner. She says that transparency needs to apply to what information about the presidential search those outside of the college community can access.
“We’re trying to create as open and transparent a process as possible. Not just internally, but externally as well,” says Sly. “So we agreed early on that as much as we can put on the internet as possible is important.”
Part of that transparency involves holding meetings that students are welcome to attend, so that they can let their questions and comments be heard. Camosun College Student Society (CCSS) external executive Rachael Grant says that the CCSS is pleased that the college is allowing students to be this involved in the presidential search.
“The CCSS is very pleased to see Camosun involving students in the process of selecting a new college president,” says Grant. “Decisions made by the college president substantially affect how Camosun operates, and it’s important to include a student voice when making a decision that will impact studies for every student at Camosun, not to mention the community at large.”
Camosun’s previous president, Kathryn Laurin, had her contract terminated on June 20, 2014 for reasons she later claimed in media were “completely unjustified.” College administration has not given a reason for her termination, and both Kirschner and Sly say that applicants for the presidential position won’t be told why Laurin’s contract was terminated.
President of CUPE local 2081 Tony Nelson, who is on the search committee as support-staff representative, says he doesn’t feel that people’s perceptions of Laurin’s comments are going to harm the search.
“I don’t think so,” says Nelson. “I think based on what happened, quite literally, it’s all speculation, and the only people that can know what happened are the board chair, the vice chair, and Kathryn Laurin. I don’t think it’s going to hamper it in any way, shape, or form. I would hope that the terms of the contract, when and if somebody does agree to come on board, will be open and as transparent as possible, given that we are a public institution.”
Sly feels that a presidential candidate might ask questions, not so much around the circumstances of Laurin’s dismissal, but whether or not Camosun’s board is getting too involved operationally with the institution, as opposed to strategically.
“It’s not about the board becoming involved with the operations of the institutions, it’s becoming better informed,” she says. “I think that’s the intent behind it, so when we do have to make a strategic decision, and that is the decision level the board operates at, that it’s making a decision that’s well informed, thoughtful, and hopefully the best decision for the college community.”
Davies Park have worked with Camosun before, assisting the search for the dean of the School of Access, dean of the School of Arts and Science, and associate VP of student experience and educational innovation in 2013.
Sly says that the costs associated with using Davies Park are confidential.
For more information about the search for the next Camosun president, including a proposed timeline of events, see camosun.ca/about/presidents-search.
“’We’re trying to create as open and transparent a process as possible. Not just internally, but externally as well,’ says Sly.”…
“Sly says that the costs associated with using Davies Park are confidential.”
Gotta love it.