myVU - Resources for Faculty and Staff

Chancellor search on track, says committee chair

Posted 1/16/2008

Board of Trust Vice Chairman Dennis C. Bottorff has been leading the search for Vanderbilt’s next chancellor since Gordon Gee resigned in July 2007.  As chairman of the Board’s search committee, Bottorff and his fellow trustees have sought advice and nominations from every part of the Vanderbilt community.  Bottorff himself is no stranger to the process – the alumnus and Nashville executive led the search committee that recruited Gee from Brown University to Vanderbilt in 2000.

Bottorff provided myVU with an update on the search for only the eighth chancellor in Vanderbilt’s 135 year history:

myVU: What can you tell us about the status of the chancellor search?

Bottorff: Conducting a search for the chancellor involves several stages, some of which are conducted in public and others which have to remain confidential. The first phase involved listening to people with a deep interest in and commitment to Vanderbilt: students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of the university. The search committee, along with the advisory committee chaired by Dean Jim Hudnut-Beumler, held more than 20 “listening sessions” for those who wanted to speak about their aspirations for Vanderbilt; solicited feedback through e-mail surveys and the Web site; and contacted all alumni by e-mail. What we received from the thousands of people who took the time to respond was a very detailed and diverse portrait of Vanderbilt, including information and insights that helped us create a position description and expectations for the next chancellor. Now we’ve moved into a “quiet” phase to identify and evaluate individuals who have the characteristics we’re seeking in our next chancellor.

myVU:  What did you hear after all that listening?

Bottorff:  We heard just about everything, but what came through clearly was the excitement and pride that people have in this university. There is a sense of great momentum at Vanderbilt, for good reason. We have made enormous progress in just about every area from academics to student life to health care to fundraising.  Our reputation has never been stronger, and Vanderbilt has rightly taken a place among the great universities of the world. We have challenges for sure, but it is clear that Vanderbilt is a place on the move, and fortunate to have so many talented people who care about it. 

myVU:  Besides the members of the Board of Trust who are on the committee, who else is involved in the search?

Bottorff:  Last year, the Board engaged Isaacson-Miller, one of the leading national executive search firms, to assist us.  This is very common for major universities.  Isaacson-Miller has helped us refine the search process and contact potential candidates.  We are also grateful to Dean Hudnut-Beumler and his committee of faculty, students and staff, who analyzed the enormous amount of input we received from our outreach about Vanderbilt’s goals and aspirations.  But it is important to note that the decision about who will serve as our next chancellor falls exclusively to the search committee, and, ultimately, the Board of Trust.

myVU: Why must this part of the search be confidential?

Bottorff: This is one of the premier chief executive positions in higher education.  As a result, it can attract interest from people who are already leading other institutions and, understandably, don’t want to be identified in public. By carrying out our search with complete confidentiality, we are able to talk with these people without their having to worry about the possible impact on them.

myVU: Is there anything you can say about the kinds of candidates you’re considering?

Bottorff: There is no template for the ideal chancellor, nor can you expect a single person to embody every single attribute that you are seeking.  Nonetheless, the search committee recognizes that the next chancellor needs to be someone with a strong background in higher education, someone with deep, first-hand experience in scholarship, teaching and leadership at the university level. We are also committed to diversity. This search, like all others at Vanderbilt, is performed according to the university’s policies on equal opportunity in the hiring process. We endorse that principle and, together with the search firm, we’re making every effort to insure diversity in our considerations.

myVU: Does the search committee have a time-line for reaching a decision?

Bottorff: We purposely did not set a deadline because this is a very complex undertaking.  Nonetheless, I can assure you that we’re very pleased with the progress. Our public silence should not be interpreted to mean that nothing is happening. Just the opposite is true.

myVU: What happens when the search committee selects someone?

Bottorff: The search committee will make a recommendation to the full Board of Trust, which has the final authority for the appointment.  Once that happens, the entire Vanderbilt community will be invited to be part of the celebration to introduce our new chancellor. 

For more information about the chancellor search, visit www.vanderbilt.edu/chancellorsearch.

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