Chancellor Search Committee Finalized

[asu66]

Committee begins work on 8.27 in a meeting in Chapel-Hell with UNC-BOG head Tom Ross. This is a BIG DEAL for Appalachian's future!


BOONE—Full membership of the chancellor search committee at Appalachian State University has been announced by Appalachian’s Board of Trustees Chairman Michael Steinback. The committee, chaired by Steinback, will consist of 21 members.

The committee is being formed to identify candidates to replace Chancellor Kenneth E. Peacock, who announced in April he will step down once a successor is named.

The search committee represents Appalachian’s broad constituency base, including trustees, students, faculty, staff, athletics, administrators, alumni, community members and the Appalachian State University Foundation Inc.

Steinback commented that “the membership committee is a talented, diverse group with strong campus representation and will do a fine job identifying a 21st century leader for this most important chancellor position.”

As announced Aug. 2, trustees in addition to Steinback on the committee are Bradley Adcock, committee vice chairman, Avery Hall Sr., Brenda White Wright, Alice Roess (pronounced Race) and Frank Daniels Jr. Student Government Association President Dylan Russell will represent Appalachian’s student body.

The initial membership sought nominations for the remaining positions from deans of Appalachian’s degree-granting colleges or schools, vice chancellors, chief of staff, provost and others. The members received bios and photographs of the nominees, which they discussed in a meeting Aug. 8 before extending invitations to select individuals from each category.

Steinback said the trustees devoted themselves to “being thoughtful of balance” in selecting nominations and considered college representation or position, experience, respect of peers and diversity of perspectives, race, ethnicity and gender in selecting the additional committee members.

“We want to ensure we have appropriately developed a diverse representation of individuals, viewpoints and interests from the ASU campus, community and region,” he said at the beginning of the selection process. Of the final committee, he said “The breadth of experience and knowledge of Appalachian possessed by these individuals will help us identify a new chancellor with leadership skills necessary to ensure that this great university flourishes and continues to meet the needs of its students, the region and state.”

The remainder of the committee’s make-up is as follows:

Six individuals will represent faculty. They are Dr. Stanley Aeschleman, Dr. Harry Davis, Dr. Andy Koch, Dr. Kellie Reed-Ashcraft, Dr. Chris Thaxton and Dr. Alan Utter.

Staff will be represented on the committee by Staff Senate President Kevin Snook.

Two administrators will serve on the committee. They are Dr. Randy Edwards and Dr. Jesse Lutabingwa.

Alumni will be represented by Sam Powers.

The broader community will be represented by Jeannine Underdown Collins and James Deal Jr.

The Appalachian State University Foundation Inc. will be represented by Kay C. Norwood.

Athletics will be represented by Rick Beasley.

The full committee will meet Tuesday, Aug. 27, from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m., during which it will receive its charge from UNC President Tom Ross.

[newtoasu]

The faculty and administrative members is extremely good news for this committee. There are a couple I don't know, but the others understand why Ken was a great Chancellor and have very long ties to Appalachian.

Of course, the Search Committee in the end has very little input into a decision.

[DaphneUrquhart]

I like seeing Sam Powers on that list. He lives and breathes App State. Sam was instrumental in getting the SoCon basketball tourney to return to Asheville.

[MountainMan]

Of course, the Search Committee in the end has very little input into a decision.

Guess it depends on one's definition of "input". It's true the Search Committee does not make the final decision, but generally the Search Committee is fully responsible for narrowing the potential candidates down to a list of only 2 or 3. Given that there will likely be a pool of 25+ legitimate applicants/candidates, the power to narrow it down to just 2-3 seems like a good deal of input to me.

[asu66]

Of course, the Search Committee in the end has very little input into a decision.

Guess it depends on one's definition of "input". It's true the Search Committee does not make the final decision, but generally the Search Committee is fully responsible for narrowing the potential candidates down to a list of only 2 or 3. Given that there will likely be a pool of 25+ legitimate applicants/candidates, the power to narrow it down to just 2-3 seems like a good deal of input to me.

I'm *almost* smart enough not to put words in newtoasu's keyboard. But what-the-heck...he may have been making the point that Tom Ross and the UNC-BOG have the only votes that count. It's not out of the question that Ross already knows who he's going to appoint at ASU. If that's the case, all he has to do is to make the search committee completely aware that it is his expectation that Dr. X's name will be among the final 2 or 3.

This search could be wide-open or it could be just another big game of campus politics.