The Search Committee Handbook: A Guide to Recruiting Administrators

* Reviews of the first edition:

"Finally, higher education has an intelligent guide for recruiting administrators--an activity often taken for granted and not always thoughtfully carried out." -- Paul A. Elsner, Maricopa Community College District

"The book we've needed ... the Turabian of search." -- James M. Heffernan, State University of New York

This >Handbook focuses on administrative searches below the level of the presidency--the searches for vice-presidents, deans, directors, and coordinators for which the appointment of a search committee is the norm. It is written for practitioners--for the institutional leaders who will plan the search, form the committee, and later make the appointment; as well as for the chair and members of the search committee itself. It is intended as a guide and a fund of ideas to promote better, more informed and more effective practice.

The second edition of this acclaimed book reflects the extensive changes that have taken place in the hiring climate. Video-conferencing allows travel-free interviewing. The Web permits desktop research and has given rise to the online posting of openings. Federal and state regulations about hiring and employment have grown apace. The use of search firms has expanded from the presidency to other administrative posts. The shift in student demographics is increasing the need for faculty-staff diversity. Perhaps the most significant change is the recent sharp decline in the size of applicant pools for administrative posts.

All these factors add up to a different–and more challenging–set of tasks for campus leadership and search committees. To unpack these issues the Atlantic Philanthropies provided a grant to AAHE and the Academic Search Consultation Service to fund a national advisory board, undertake extensive literature reviews, and conduct focus groups and numerous interviews with committee chairs and others.

The new edition of this classic and authoritative source of advice for finding, selecting, and appointing the best people to key administrative positions is informed by this extensive research.