On behalf of the Presidential Search Committee, Glenn Barnes has shared an update related to the search for Memorial’s next president and vice-chancellor.

This update is based on three recent meetings: Presidential Search Committee (PSC) meetings on July 9 and July 23 and the university’s governing Board of Regents meeting on July 11.

The PSC is comprised of faculty, students, regents, staff and community representatives.

On July 9 the PSC met to consider a recommendation from its sub-committee regarding the engagement of a search consultant to support the presidential search process.

The sub-committee outlined the extensive, multi-stage request for proposals (RFP) process that it conducted to select a search consultant, with the support of the university’s Office of Strategic Procurement and in accordance with the Public Procurement Act.

The search firm’s role is to take direction from and collaborate with the PSC to develop a strategic search, recruitment and selection plan.

This process will include opportunities for broad consultation across Memorial’s many communities.

Search consultants are non-voting participants in this process. It is entirely the role of elected and appointed search committee members to make final decisions on the search process and candidates.

The PSC accepted the sub-committee’s recommendation of a vendor and forwarded this to the Board of Regents for its consideration.

At the July 11 meeting of the Board of Regents, the Board approved the engagement of executive search firm Perrett Laver to support the presidential search.

Also at the July 11 Board meeting, the regents approved the appointment of Nicolas Keough to the PSC as the PSC member nominated by the Memorial University of Newfoundland Students’ Union (MUNSU).

He replaces John Harris who resigned as MUNSU’s initial nominee.

On July 23 the PSC held an introductory meeting with the search consultant team from Perrett Laver.

This team, led by Dr. Gordon Lobay, presented a draft schedule for the search process and took questions from the PSC.

The committee considered the draft and provided feedback to the consultants who will revise the draft for further consideration by the PSC.

The committee also discussed the possible degrees of openness with respect to reviewing candidates.

These included a range of options under the categories of open, closed and hybrid.

No decision was made on this matter, but the PSC is committed to communicating this decision to the university community once the decision has been taken.

Timelines for community consultations will also be forthcoming once they have been finalized.