CHANCELLOR SEARCH

PROCESS
Lynn Duffy
Senior Associate Vice President
Leadership and Talent Development
UNC General Administration
January 19, 2018
 CHANCELLOR SEARCH PROCESS

• Authorization for Chancellor Selection and

Appointment
• Open Meetings/Public Records
• UNC General Administration Support
• Search Firm
• Timetable
• Questions
 KEY DOCUMENTS

• The Code of the Board of Governors of the

University of North Carolina (100.1 Appendix)

• UNC Policy on Chancellor Searches; Board of

Governors Participation (200.8)

• UNC Policy on Senior Academic and

Administrative Officers (300.1.1)
 THE CODE OF THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS

• In The Code, the Board of Governors delegates to the board of

trustees the responsibility and authority to establish, in
consultation with the president, a search committee
• The Code specifies that the Search Committee must include
representatives of:
– the board of trustees
– the faculty
– the student body
– the staff
– the alumni
– one member of the Board of Governors designated by the chair of
the Board of Governors to serve in a nonvoting advisory capacity
– other campus constituencies as may be appropriate
 THE CODE OF THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS
• The Code requires:

o A Preliminary Report from the Search Committee to the President through the
Chair of the Board of Trustees when the Search Committee is preparing a
schedule of initial interviews

o A Recommendation of an unranked slate of three candidates from the Search

Committee to the trustees for consideration upon completion of the campus
interview process

o Recommendation by the Board of Trustees of an unranked slate of three

names to the president for consideration or a return of the slate to the Search
Committee for further action
 POLICIES OF THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS OF THE
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA

• 200.8 -- Policy on Chancellor Searches; Board of Governors

Participation
o Sets out roles of the board of trustees, the chancellor
search committee, the president and the Board of
Governors
o Provides that the Chair of the Board of Trustees shall
establish the search committee in consultation with the
president
• 300.1.1 -- Policy on Senior Academic and Administrative
Officers
o Provides that the appointment of chancellors is made by
the Board of Governors upon recommendation of the
President
 THE BOTTOM LINE
• The Search Committee functions as a special
committee of the Board of Trustees and is,
therefore, subject to Open Meetings and
notice requirements along with any relevant
BOT rules
• The final decision to appoint a chancellor rests
with the Board of Governors, following the
recommendation of the President
 OPEN MEETINGS

• The Chancellor Search Committee is a public

body subject to the Open Meetings Act. The
Committee must:
o Give notice of meetings
o Allow the public to attend
o Keep minutes
o Meet in open session unless an exception applies
 OPEN MEETINGS, continued

• G.S. 143-318.11(a) provides two relevant exceptions:

o (1) “To prevent the disclosure of information that is
privileged or confidential pursuant to the law of this State
or of the United States…”
• Article 7 of Chapter 126 of the General Statutes protects applicant
information from disclosure
o (6) “To consider the qualifications, competence…
character, fitness, ... or conditions of initial employment of
an individual...prospective public officer or employee... .”
• Review of applications, narrowing the pool,
interviewing applicants, and deciding whom to
recommend may be done in closed session
TOPICS THAT MUST BE DISCUSSED IN OPEN SESSION

• Development of procedures
• Development of job description or
advertisement
• Decisions on interview questions
• Basically, anything that has to do with the
search process that does not identify
individual candidates
 PUBLIC RECORDS

• All records (paper, electronic, or other forms)

made or received in connection with the
search will be public records—including e-
mails among committee members.
• Unless records are covered by an exception,
the public has access to them.
 PUBLIC RECORDS, continued

• G.S. 126-22 provides that “personnel files” are

not subject to the public records law.
• ””Personnel file” means any employment-
related or personal information gathered by
an employer…”
• “Employment-related information contained
in a personnel file includes information related
to an individual’s application, selection...”
 CONFIDENTIALITY

• Confidentiality is critical to the deliberations

of the Search Committee
o The Committee must be able to discuss candidates
with complete candor
o What happens in the Search Committee stays in
the Search Committee
o Confidentiality does NOT end when the search is
complete—it lasts forever
o Each Search Committee member will be asked to
sign a Confidentiality Agreement
 UNC GENERAL ADMINISTRATION SUPPORT

• UNC General Administration provides support

for Chancellor searches
o Designated staff member supports the Search
process
o Attends meetings as a resource
o Provides knowledge of policies and procedures
o Provides regular updates on status of the Search
to the President and Board of Governors
o Designee for WCU Search
• Lynn Duffy: lsduffy@northcarolina.edu
 SEARCH FIRM

• WCU has engaged an executive search firm

Buffkin/Baker to assist with the search
• The search firm’s role is to:
o Recruit candidates
o Screen candidates
o Coordinate interview logistics
o Process candidate expenses
o Conduct initial referencing, background checks,
etc.
 QUESTIONS?

CONNECT www.northcarolina.edu UNCSystem @UNC_system

 Search Timeline Illustrative

• Search Committee Kick off- January 19, 2018

• Constituent Forums—Jan/Feb 2018
• Finalize Leadership Statement—Feb 2018
• Invite Applications/Nominations—Feb/March 2018
• Begin Screening—April 2018
• Interview Semi-Finalists—April 2018
• Interview Finalists—May 2018
• Recommendation to BOT—May 2018
• BOT Recommendation to President—May 2018
• President Interviews Finalists, Recommends to BOG—June 2018
• New Chancellor begins work—July/August 2018