While there is a great deal of research that examines the value of effective principals, there are few studies that explore the selection and placement of principals. As demonstrated in the research, the selection and placement of principals is important because effective principals impact school outcomes, including increased student academic…

Formerly, search consultants were used in higher education at only a small number of institutions--and even there, only when recruiting presidents. But over the years, the industry has grown to the point that many large and small firms now compete for higher education searches, including ones for administrators and even some for endowed faculty,…

Scope and Method of Study: Qualitative research to collect data from two sources: (1) Face-to-face interviews with school board members representing four Oklahoma School Districts; (2) Newspaper articles. Findings and Conclusions: Data from the study indicate that time availability and personnel expertise are determining factors in the decision…

Serving as superintendent, going into his 24th year, the author has completed hundreds of applications and interviewed for nearly a hundred superintendencies. He has accepted seven superintendencies and, in more than 20 instances, have declined offers or withdrawn from consideration after being interviewed. This cumulative experience has produced…

According to a recent Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB) survey, nearly 67 percent of four-year independent and public colleges, universities, and systems secured an executive search firm to help with their presidential search activity. This edition of the Guidelines and Directory profiles 16 North American-based…

This book offers sample documents for candidates as well as for the search committees, and includes a substantive bibliography. From her vantage point outside the institution, the author is able to provide a unique point of view and insightful comments on the complex and often daunting process of the academic executive search. Key selling points…

Executive-search consultants are being hired to help fill posts in higher education from college presidents to development positions and deanships. Consultants perform a variety of services, from identifying and screening candidates to arranging flight schedules for campus visits. (MLW)

Discusses four issues for higher education institutions to consider if they employ consultants for presidential searches: (1) search consultants dominate the process; (2) they do not really expand the pool of applicants; (3) organizing the search process can be handled well by institutions themselves; and (4) consultants are inevitably placed in…

While the use of a search committee may be a more representative method, it may not be the most effective method for selecting a new president. The use of both a search consultant and a search committee permits the delegation of the "search" to the consultant and the "selection" to the committee. (MLW)

This guide for trustees and search committee members who are involved in the process of selecting a college or university president provides background information and questions to ask when interviewing search consultants, as well as a directory of search consultants. An introductory section on selection guidelines covers how a search consultant…

This publication provides general background information and questions trustees and search committee members might ask as they interview search consultants to help in the search for presidents of institutions and it profiles search firms so that trustees and search committee members can make initial assessments as they look for consultants. A…

Problems in the process of selecting new administrators are discussed, including confidentiality, resumes and letters of recommendation, the interview, committee membership, and inside candidates. (MSE)

Despite the variation in fees, the actual services most superintendent search consultants provide are remarkably similar. Price differences reflect the size of a consultant's network and track record. Recommends matching fee ranges with an appropriate category of consultant and basing selection on a 10-step process of consultant services. (CJH)

Responses from over 500 practicing superintendents in New York State reveal that the majority (1) have a strong desire to be leaders; (2) heard about the opening through an advertisement; (3) view consultants in the selection process appropriate only as technical experts; and (4) urge school board members to become more involved in the…

Advises boards of education to recruit superintendents themselves instead of delegating the search to consultants. Benefits are (1) taxpayer savings; (2) the chance for board member teamwork without involving the superintendent; and (3) the opportunity to foster diverse approaches to educational improvement instead of furthering homogeneity in the…