The search committee charged with finding a successor to Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Karl Furstenberg has recently begun to solicit applications for the position. In the wake of the departure of a handful of other top administrators, Furstenberg announced his retirement in late September, with plans to conclude his 17th year at the College in July.
Just weeks after Furstenberg's Sept. 25 announcement, Provost Barry Scherr selected a search committee composed of seven faculty and staff members and two students.
"There are lots of different interests and constituencies at the table," said theater department chair and head of the search committee Peter Hackett '75. "The arts, faculty, athletics, development [office], alumni and student body are all represented."
Scherr and the Student Assembly solicited applications from students interested in joining the search committee and selected Jacob Crumbine '07 and Yuki Kondo-Shah '07. Both Crumbine and Kondo-Shah became familiar with Furstenberg and the admissions office after working as senior interviewers this summer and fall.
"I think that it's one of the most important positions at the school and I wanted to help make sure we got a good person in Furstenberg's place," Crumbine said.
Since the committee's formation in mid-October, the group has enlisted the help of executive search firm Spencer Stuart to communicate candidly with various individuals and groups around campus that have a stake in the selection of a new dean.
"Our two consultants from Spencer Stuart have interviewed everyone from Josie Harper in the athletic department to Dean of the Faculty Carol Folt," Hackett said.
Due to the high profile nature of the soon-to-be vacant position, Hackett said many constituencies have offered their input.
"[The position is] really the gatekeeper at Dartmouth.... It affects everything from athletics to the faculty to the student body," Hackett said.
By the beginning of February, the committee plans to hold an open student meeting and an open faculty meeting in order for all interested parties to sound off and ask questions.
Applications for the position have already begun to flow in and recommendations of potential candidates are being made to the search committee.
"The word is that this is a highly desirable position for people in this field," Hackett said. "Dartmouth has a reputation for the diversity of its student body, and some of the ways that has been achieved are really unique."
The search committee hopes to hold off-campus interviews for a relatively small number of candidates at the end of March, followed directly by a second round of on-campus interviews with the final three or four candidates in April. Ultimately, the committee will recommend between one and three candidates to the president and provost who will make the final decision.
Hackett anticipates the committee will select Furstenberg's replacement by mid to late spring, leaving no void in leadership following Furstenberg's departure.
"It's a really exciting time because I think we're going to get a very high-power person in this position," Hackett said.
