Presidential Search

 

Muskingum Students, Faculty, and Staff,

I’m writing to share an important update on the process for selecting an outstanding successor to President Sue Hasseler.

I am pleased to report that Trustee James W. Schmotter ’69 has agreed to chair the Search Committee. Jim brings outstanding experience to this leadership role. He served for eleven years as president of Western Connecticut State University, following earlier appointments as dean of the business colleges at Lehigh University and Western Michigan University, and as Associate Dean and Director of International Studies at Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management. He also served for ten years as a corporate director of Ethan Allen Interiors and most recently chaired the board of the Naples (FL) Council on World Affairs.

I will also serve as a member of the committee, representing the Board of Trustees in this vital work.

We are grateful to the following individuals who have agreed to serve on the Presidential Search Committee and devote their time and talent to this important responsibility:

• Cheryl Carpenter '86, Chair, Board of Trustees
• Dr. James Schmotter '69, Trustee and Chair of the Presidential Search Committee
• Tom Caudill, Associate Athletic Director, Director and Assistant Professor of Athletics Communication
• Laura Yoder DeCoste '94, Alumni Council President, Designated Trustee
• Dr. Gene Folden '81, Trustee
• Darrell Hazell '86, Trustee
• Dr. Kim Lawler, Master of Occupational Therapy Program Director, Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy
• Phillip Lashley, Student Senate President, Designated Trustee
• Dr. Tom McGrath, Faculty Executive Secretary; Chair, History Department; Associate Professor of History; Designated Trustee
• Marcy Ritzert, Vice President for Enrollment
• Dr. Colleen Stevenson, Child and Family Studies Program Coordinator; Chair, Psychology Department; Professor of Psychology
• Holly Walters ’88, Trustee
• Dr. Ruth Wasem ’76, Trustee

We are also pleased that Holly Gleason, Associate Vice President for Human Relations & Risk Management and Title IX Coordinator, will serve as the staff administrator supporting the committee’s work.

The search will be a comprehensive national effort conducted in a confidential manner to protect the privacy of candidates. As such, there will be no open campus forums with finalists. Instead, a small number of faculty, staff, students, and members of the Senior Leadership Team will be invited to participate in confidential sessions with finalists. This approach is standard in presidential searches and helps attract top-tier candidates, many of whom may currently hold leadership roles at other institutions or organizations and would not be able to participate in a public process.

We invite all members of the campus community to participate in shaping the search by contributing to the development of a Presidential Search Prospectus. This document will highlight Muskingum’s strengths, distinctiveness, and aspirations to potential candidates. Our consultants from Academic Search - Dr. Dan DiBiasio and Dr. Sharon Herzberger - will be on campus September 11 and 12 to conduct a series of listening sessions. They will also distribute a campus-wide survey to gather additional input on your expectations and hopes for our next president and Muskingum’s future. Details about how to participate will be shared in early fall.

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I extend sincere thanks to the members of the Presidential Search Committee for their service. They will be working diligently and thoughtfully on behalf of our entire community.

Warm regards,
Cheryl Carpenter ‘86
Chair, Board of Trustees
Muskingum University