Faculty Hiring Process Examined In Light of Religious and Spiritual Director Search

By Otto Do, Maxine Park and Anya Tang

As the Academy proceeds with its online spring term, hiring committees have turned to Zoom calls with prospective candidates in lieu of traditional on-campus visits. In the most notable example of this system, students and staff logged onto four digital Zoom conferences to provide their input remotely in the continuing search for the Academy’s next Director of Religious and Spiritual Life between April 2 and 7.

The hiring process for faculty remains largely unchanged despite the COVID-19 outbreak. Faculty seek to evaluate each candidate’s potential contributions to the campus with a set of certain criteria for each department, although those involved in the hiring process vary by department. The final selection process involves the Dean of Faculty Ellen Wolff, Director of Equity and Inclusion Stephanie Bramlett and Athletic Director David Hudson, who weigh candidates on additional criteria within their purview. Typically, the Academy provides opportunities for prospective candidates to visit campus. 

For teaching faculty, the academic departments typically lead the hiring process. However, according to Principal William Rawson, the Dean of Students meets all candidates and the Principal makes the final decision.

The Principal’s involvement, however, may vary based on several factors. “Whether we are hiring internally for a position such as Dean of Students or externally for a position such as Director of Athletics, for most senior positions of a similar nature I am heavily involved in all aspects of the process, meet all candidates and make the final decision,” Rawson said. “Depending on the situation, I might rely heavily on a search committee, as I did with the search for a new Athletic Director.”

Several considerations are reviewed during the hiring process. “[This includes] the needs of the department, the needs of the school, the qualifications of the candidates, their commitment to the mission and values of the school and their interest in [being] a part of a residential school community,” Rawson said.

In dismissals of faculty, the Principal typically would be involved, Rawson noted. He added that dismissed faculty usually do not receive severance pay.

While decision processes for most positions are restricted to administration and faculty, the Academy has tried to engage students in the current search for the new Director of Spiritual and Religious Life. Candidates Deanna Shorb, Mininder Kaur, Tyler Schwaller and Bonnie-Jeanne Casey were selected as finalists by a hiring committee led by Vice Principal Karen Lassey during the winter term. 

In a series of meetings from April 2-7, students met and asked the four finalists questions over a group Zoom call. Prior to each meeting, Lassey sent the entire student body documents with each candidate’s curriculum vitae and cover letter by email. 

Students who attended the Zoom group meetings were provided a survey where they could offer feedback and evaluate each candidate’s interpersonal and leadership skills, adaptability and relevant experience on a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 meaning “Below Requirements” and 5 meaning “Exceptional / Outstanding”.

“I thought [the sessions] were effective since faculty created a space for the students to lead the questions while they listened in,” prep Fabriciana De Soriano said. “I felt honored to offer input on the candidates for the hiring process. I hope that my participation is a service to my fellow Exonians.”

As students are not on campus, the Academy attempted to schedule the meetings at a broadly-convenient time. “We realize that this may be challenging for some of you, depending on the time zone,” Lassey wrote in an all-school email. “If you are unable to attend and meet the candidates but would like to provide more general input on their candidacies, please feel free to reach out to Lauren Caldwell by email.”

Some student religious leaders were invited to meet with the candidates in smaller group settings. “Our organization was provided the opportunity to meet with candidates on their respective days to have a discussion about what they could offer to Exeter as a religious leader,” lower and Hindu Society co-head Milan Gandhi said. “I felt that I was aptly and appropriately involved, but I wished that the Hiring Committee had sent a form to ask which candidate we liked best in addition to the form that they gave.”

However, students from other organizations desired to be more closely involved throughout the search process. “Although I understand that certain opportunities were presented for the entire student body to provide input, I wish that our religious organizations were more intentionally consulted at the beginning of the process,” upper and co-head of Christian Fellowship Sarah Huang said. 

“In many ways, the [Director of Spiritual and Religious Life] impacts our communities the most. As religious boarding school students, many of us face unique difficulties in practicing our religions as we lose access to our places of worship at home, as well as our communities of faith,” Huang said.

Some students noted Interim Director of Religious Service Reverend Heidilee Heath’s legacy and the hole that will be left by her departure. “I cannot stress enough how safe and welcomed it made me feel to walk onto a campus with a married, queer femme Chaplain as a new lower coming from a not-so-accepting high school,” senior Alisha Simmons said. “I've struggled so much with accepting my identity, pushing religion and spirituality away in the process and almost being afraid of churches. However, because of her, Phillips Church became one of my safe spaces on campus, and that's something I never thought would ever happen.” Given Heath’s record during her tenure, Simmons questioned why Heath was not included among the final candidates.

Others wondered if her successor would embody the role as she did. “I don't know if our next Religious and Spiritual Life Director will live up to the example Reverend Heath has left behind,” upper and Catholic Exonians co-head Stephen McNulty added. “I'd say that all four candidates seem capable, and some left a particular impact on me, but they will have a tough, tough job ahead of them.”

Students hope that the new Director will continue Reverend Heidi’s work with inclusion and intersectionality on campus. “I am looking for a Religious Director who will actively support all faiths, embody the morals and values of the Academy and brings positive energy to campus to connect with and make all students feel welcome,” De Soriano said.

Director of Equity and Inclusion Dr. Stephanie Bramlett has worked closely with Dean of Faculty Ellen Wolff and Director of Human Resources Rachel Henry to develop diverse candidate pools. “We added cultural competency as a key accountability in every job description, and we encourage departments to do a hiring workshop where they learn about equitable hiring practices,” Bramlett said. “We ask [candidates] to define cultural competency, tell us about experiences when they have demonstrated cultural competency, give them case study situations and ask them to respond and tell us examples of when their cultural competency has been challenged.”

For academic departments looking to hire, the process begins with an open and formal search. According to Mathematics Department Chair Gwyneth Coogan, the department posts “a job opening announcement in many places including our own website, the [National Association of Independent Schools] website, Carney Sandoe, the Jobs Board at the [American Mathematical Society,” among others. 

In these posts, the Math Department describes “the work that goes into teaching math at a boarding school,” as well as department qualifications and the school’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. Interested candidates send a “resume and cover letter for a six-person committee to review,” Coogan said.

After a round of questioning, the department selects a group of finalists, who are invited to visit campus. “Since we had at least three jobs for next year, we invited seven people to campus,” Coogan said. Selected candidates stay overnight in Exeter to go to dorm duty in two dorms and have breakfast with the department’s hiring committee. 

From there, they visit four or five classes and meet with the whole math department. In most cases, prospective instructors meet with Wolff, Dean of Students Brooks Moriarty and Bramlett. Additionally, candidates with athletic experience meet with Hudson. After the candidates visit, the Department makes a recommendation to Wolff.

Candidate criteria go beyond qualities expected from their respective departments and often evaluate aspects such as community involvement or sports coaching experience. According to Art Department Chair Carla Collins, the Art Department looks at qualities such as the “number of years and type of teaching experience, cultural competency, skills, passion for working with teenagers, knowledge in diverse art mediums that we need teachers to teach, teaching experience at the high school level, education in art history and contemporary art, interests in [advising] clubs, serving on committees and coaching sports.”

The Classics Department approaches hiring candidates differently. “We don’t have a checklist of essential criteria. We look at each candidate’s overall record and try to think about ways in which they can advance the mission of the department and the Academy,” Classics Department Chair Matthew Hartnett said. “They have to know Latin, of course. Beyond that, we look for traits and qualities that seem well suited to the lively and sometimes unpredictable nature of a Harkness class and the campus as whole.”

The Academy’s hiring process for its Principal operates differently, involving Exeter’s trustees. “The Trustees hire only one person at the Academy, and that person is the Principal,” President of Trustees John “Tony” Downer said. “The Academy’s bylaws confer that responsibility upon the Trustees, and the Principal is the only member of the Academy community who reports directly and exclusively to the Trustees.”

Similarly, new staff positions at the Academy must also be approved by the trustees. “In the event that the hire is for a newly-created position, because every new position has a material and long lasting impact on the Academy’s budget, the trustees must approve the administration’s request to create the new position,” Downer said. “In this case, the trustees do not opine on or approve who gets hired, but rather, the trustees’ approval to hire someone for the new created position is required.”

Most importantly, trustees are involved in maintaining diversity, equity and inclusion throughout the Academy’s hiring process. “The trustees work with the Principal to ensure that, in the hiring process, the Academy’s priority on the core value of diversity, equity and inclusion is fully felt and fully taken into consideration any time anyone is hired,” Downer said. “Progress in the areas of diversity, equity and inclusion does not simply happen by itself.  It requires attention, intention and deliberate focus, and we work with the Principal to make sure that the community is aware of the importance of this goal.”

Even as students and staff are adapting to the online spring term, the Academy’s hiring process has changed to involving community feedback in their hiring process, something students are grateful for. “Obviously Zoom is not perfect,” McNulty said. “But it's still a chance to get to meet [the candidates], and I'm still grateful for it.”