Principal Search Update: Committee Nears Decision

After Principal Hassan declared his upcoming retirement in July, the Principal Search Committee has worked to find his replacement that will stand as the 15th principal.

The committee solicited advice from various constituencies on campus early in the school year to frame their search. The “listening sessions” were open by signup to students, faculty and staff during which the committee members discussed traits most important to them in a future principal.

Trustee and co-head of the committee Tony Downer, who acts as the sole spokesperson for the committee, explained that since those meetings, they have evaluated many candidates, a number of whom were “exceptional.” Since then, the trustees have selected their finalists, each of whom they see as suitable contenders.

Search committee member and Dean of Faculty Ronald Kim said that the process has been going well and on schedule. “It’s been a fantastic process and experience for all of the members,” he said.

Downer continued that since determining the finalists, each will meet with the trustees as a group, after the Academy has completed “reference calls and background checks” to gain the most accurate and full picture of the individuals.

Every finalist, Downer said, must demonstrate “outstanding accomplishment in, and a profound understanding of [the] field of education.” They must also display strong qualities of leadership, judgement, communication skills, thoughtfulness and an ability to connect and empathize with both students and adults on campus.

Among other tasks, candidates have had to field a broad array of questions, make a presentation and lead a discussion as a part of the interview process. The questions challenge them on their thoughts covering “technology, sustainability, residential life, curriculum, advising, globalism, governance, decision-making and problem-solving processes, goodness, Harkness—the list goes on and on,” Downer said, explaining that each affects how the candidate would work with everything that is important to the Academy.

The search has been, and will remain, a closed one to protect the identities of each candidate. Additionally, Dean Kim will likely serve as an Interim Principal during the 2015-2016 school year to allow time for the final pick to vacate their current position.

And while the committee hopes to identify a final candidate by Hassan’s departure on June 30, Downer said that the main focus remains on finding “the very best individual, however much time that process requires.”

Although the process is nearing its end, many students are frustrated by their lack of involvement and the ambiguity that generally surrounds it. Kim said that because of the closed nature of the process, students and other members of the community “will not meet the candidates” though the committee “appreciated the input from student council and from those students who participated in the many listening sessions that were available on campus in September.”

Many students, however, felt that because they are often treated with respect and even with confidential information in formats like the Discipline Committee, there should be student representation on the Search Committee as well. Student Council President senior Benj Cohen approached the Committee to request the addition of student voices in the decision process, but Dean Kim declined the inquiry. Cohen argues that since “trustees and faculty members are incorporated as a part of the process, students should be as well.”

Cohen acknowledged the importance of a closed search but hoped that committee members could trust a group of students to share the views of an important constituency at the Academy. “Students could be a great source to this process, and it’s important that they’re involved,” he said.

Senior Zoha Qamar agreed, “The confidentiality of candidates… should not not come at the expense of the student body’s voice.” And contrary to Kim’s opinion, she argued that the closed search should be the reason that student voices are included, calling their representation “crucial.”

Several faculty members agreed with Cohen and Qamar off the record, and one said that he or she had approached the committee with a similar complaint, to no effect.

Some students disagreed; senior Tori Hewitt said she trusted the committee to determine the best candidate “with less student input” in this part of the process.

And still others were perturbed simply by the fact that information given to students about the search has been vague. Senior Morgan Burrell said that students “would greatly benefit… from more information about the process and our progress in the process so far.”

These concerns have prompted Cohen to inquire about student involvement in the process. Whatever the verdict, the search operation is continuing as planned to decide on the best final candidate as soon as possible.