Just as the committee looking for a new UCSB Police Dept. chief enters the final stages of its selection process, another committee is narrowing its options in the search for a new vice chancellor.
During the nine months it has been hunting for a new vice chancellor for administrative services, the committee of seven faculty members, six staff members, one graduate student, one undergraduate student and one consultant from the Equal Opportunity Program (EOP) office has reduced its applicant pool of 100 people to four remaining candidates. Tom Gerig, a chemistry professor and chair of the selection committee, said the names of the candidates are being kept confidential so as not to compromise the status of their current jobs. The committee plans to submit its recommendations to Chancellor Henry Yang — who will make the final decision — by next week.
Gerig said the vice chancellor position has approximately 12 to 14 specific responsibilities at the university, including leadership over information systems and computing, human resources and accounting services.
“We are looking for technical competence, first of all,” Gerig said. “We are also looking for someone very cooperative with faculty, staff and students. It has got to be someone with a lot ambition for the school.”
The four remaining candidates have held similar positions at universities around the nation, Gerig said. Each candidate has undergone extensive background checks and face-to-face interviews with members of the selection committee, he said.
Donna Carpenter, who is currently the acting vice chancellor for administrative services , said she did not apply for the permanent position for personal reasons. However, she said she did interview the candidates and answer their questions.
Carpenter said her successor should have a strong character because the position carries a great deal of responsibility.
“The new vice chancellor should possess leadership, strategic thinking, creativity and have a unique vision for the position,” she said. “This is a very important job.”
Joe Castro, Campus Outreach Initiatives executive director and a search committee consultant, said he was responsible for informing his peers of state and federal equal opportunity laws in employment practices. He said he also advised committee members on what kinds of publications would be suitable for advertising to attract a diverse applicant pool.
“When issues of fair employment come up, I make sure that our campus follows the law,” Castro said.
Chancellor Yang created the search committee in October 2004 to replace former Vice Chancellor George Pernsteiner when he departed in June 2004 to become the Oregon University System’s Interim Chancellor, Gerig said.
Gerig said the committee hired the Morris & Berger consultant firm to conduct a preliminary screening of candidates from across the nation. The firm then passed the list of 100 candidates to the committee for further consideration.
