The Leadership Succession Initiative to hire the next president of Guilford College launched in the summer of 2020 and remains on course and on schedule. AGB Search consultants were retained in February, the Advisory Group convened in March, listening sessions were held with Guilford Community constituencies in April, and the President Position Profile (job description) was posted in May. In June, the Selection Committee was announced and began accepting applications.
The deadline for submitting applications was July 16. We received 79 applications, which consisted of a resume, letter of interest, and references.
MANY QUALITY APPLICANTS
The pool of candidates includes current college presidents, provosts, administrative leads, and established scholars as well as non-traditional candidates, spanning geographically throughout the United States and abroad. By any measure, it is an outstanding pool of applications.
According to AGB Search, the number of applications and the quality of applicants speak to the strength of Guilford’s brand, the optimism among those in the higher education community towards Guilford’s future, and the readiness of so many who in years past may not have been in position to be considered for such a role.
CANDIDATE REVIEW PROCESS
AGB Search and members of the Advisory Group and Selection Committee reviewed each application and participated in two two-hour virtual meetings to discuss preferred candidates. As the Advisory Group’s primary role was to help develop the position profile description and evaluate the applications, the Selection Committee’s primary role is to narrow the field of candidates to finalists. The Selection Committee will act expeditiously to provide timely feedback and decisions to candidates.
The Board of Trustees will select those who will be brought to campus to be interviewed and will make a final determination of who will be offered the position.
GRATITUDES
We would like to take this time to thank AGB Search for an excellent job guiding the process and executing their responsibilities to this point. We would also like to thank the members of the Advisory Group, Interim President Jim Hood '79, and everyone who has had a hand in cooperatively helping our efforts, from participating in listening sessions, to making referrals for the Advisory Group, to nominating candidates for the search.
There is much more to be done and we hope to count on you to remain engaged, not just through to the selection, but beyond as the new leadership forges Guilford’s course into its future.
Kind regards,
David Hopkins ’91
Harrison Hickman ’75
Leadership Succession Initiative Co-Chairs