No doubt most of you saw the article in today's Chattanooga paper regarding
the UT Presidential Search.  I have attached below a copy of the news
release from the Governor's office regarding the search.  Note that the
interview of the two final candidates will be held Wednesday, February 27,
beginning at 12:30 p.m. The interviews will be televised live by a Web
connection on each campus. The time and place on each campus for viewing
these sessions will be publicized the first of next week.  Pictures and
resumes of the final candidates will also be made available on the search
Web site.

Verbie Prevost
Faculty Representative, UT Board of Trustees  


NEWS RELEASE
FEBRUARY 22, 2002
CONTACTS:  MS. JOHNNIE AMONETTE
                       VICE-CHAIR, BOARD OF TRUSTEES
                  DR. CAROLYN HODGES
                       CHAIR, SEARCH ADVISORY COUNCIL
   

UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE PRESIDENTIAL SELECTION
 MOVES TO THE FINAL PHASE



After a seven- month search for a new President of the University of
Tennessee, the Board of Trustees is approaching the final step in a
five-phase screening and selection process.   The Screening Methodology has
included the involvement of university constituency groups, to provide an
open, fair and competitive search.

Final candidates for President of The University of Tennessee will be
interviewed by the Search Committee of the Board of Trustees on Wednesday,
February 27th, 12:30 p.m. (CST), Tennessee Tower Building, Nashville,
Tennessee. The final candidates to be considered are:

Dr. Marlene I. Strathe
Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost
University of Northern Colorado

Dr. John W. Shumaker
President
University of Louisville

The interviews by the 11- member Search Committee of the University of
Tennessee Board of Trustees will be televised live by a Web connection on
each campus to enable faculty, students, administrators, staff, alumni and
friends of The University to observe the interviews.  Following the
interviews, the Search Committee will forward a final recommendation to the
University of Tennessee Board of Trustees. 

Dr. Carolyn Hodges, Chair of the University of Tennessee Search Advisory
Council, stated:
The Search Advisory Council has been given a great deal of responsibility
in the search for the new President of the University of Tennessee. We
developed the Plan, the position advertisement, the job specifications, as
well as conducted open forums on each campus.  I have received input
throughout the process from the public and constituency6 groups through an
interactive Web site and the Advisory Council will be providing input to
the Search Committee on the final candidates. 

As faculty, students staff, alumni, and citizens-at-large, we stand ready
to assist the new President and provide a positive direction for The
University of Tennessee. 

The Search Committee, which has direct responsibility for the search, is
composed of 10 members of the UT Board of Trustees, including the student
and faculty trustees and the Chair of the Advisory Council.  The Search
Committee is chaired by Governor Don Sundquist, who serves as Chair of the
Board of Trustees. 

Members of the Search Advisory Council represent the various university
constituency groups--students, faculty, administrators, alumni, and
citizens, at-large.  The role of the Advisory Council has been to provide
input to the Search Committee.

Ms. Johnnie Amonette, Vice-Chair of the University of Tennessee Board of
Trustees, stated:
The main objective of the Board of Trustees in the search for the next
President of the University of Tennessee has been to incorporate a process
that is fair, competitive, objective and inclusive.  Each step of the
search has included input from the University constituency groups.  The
search has utilized proven methodology for the recruitment and screening of
candidates.  

The Board is appreciative to the entire membership of the Advisory Council
and Search Committee, who worked extremely hard to design and participate
in such an effective process, and of the leadership provided by the
Governor as chair of the Search Committee. We look forward to the final
phase of the process.

As a Board of Trustees, we look forward to concluding a very successful
search and are excited about working with new leadership for the University.



The Advisory Council received approximately 100 nominations through the Web
site and position advertisement pool; screened the top 15; and, interviewed
the top four, recommending one finalist.   The search firm Korn/Ferry
International screened candidates recruited from the field and recommended
one finalist.





BACKGROUND ON FIVE-PHASES OF SCREENING METHODOLOGY

·     Phase I of the Screening Methodology--Completed

Resumes of candidates reviewed by the Advisory Council were nominated
through the search Web site, www.utpresidentsearch.tennessee.edu, and
through position advertisements, which were placed in national journals and
publications. The nominees were submitted directly to the search firm,
Korn/Ferry, International in Dallas, Texas. 

Korn/Ferry screened nominees who met minimum qualifications contained
within the position advertisement and who indicated intent to become active
candidates in the search.  The search firm forwarded the top fifteen
candidates to the Advisory Council for review.  

The Advisory Council followed a prescribed screening process contained
within "The University of Tennessee Presidential Search Dual-Track
Screening Methodology," received by the Search Committee in early November
as a model by which to review the candidates.

The methodology called for an objective review by the Advisory Council, who
reviewed the resumes by candidate ID numbers.  The Advisory Council
utilized a rating critique form by which the reviewer rated the resumes
according to desired qualifications, such as-- educational attainment,
career accomplishments, proven commitment to diversity, experience and
leadership skills.

 Qualifications were identified earlier in the search process through the
"Presidential Selection Process Plan," which was adopted in September by
the Search Committee to serve as a blueprint for an objective and inclusive
search.  Minimum qualifications were included in the position
advertisement.  A "University of Tennessee Presidential Job Specification"
was developed by the Advisory Council in October as a tool to further
define the specific characteristics desired in the next leader of the
University of Tennessee system of higher education.  

·      Phase II of the Screening Methodology--Completed
The Advisory Council reviewed these semi-finalists further through
reference checks, Lexis/Nexis background checks and interviews in January.
The Advisory Council recommended the top candidate from this pool to the
Search Consultant in late January. 

·     Phase III of the Screening Methodology-Completed-
The Search Consultant recruited candidates from across the country and came
forward with a final candidate from the recruitment pool to combine with
the Web and position advertisement pool.  The final two candidates from the
two pools are being forwarded to the Board Search Committee for review. 

·     Phase IV of the Screening Methodology-February 27th
The Search Committee will evaluate and interview the finalists and will
recommend the name of one candidate to the Board of Trustees.

·     Phase V of the Screening Methodology--
The new President will be appointed by the Board of Trustees in March and
will take office by July 15, 2002. 


Verbie Lovorn Prevost
Katharine Pryor Professor of English
Director of English Graduate Studies
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
615 McCallie Ave
Chattanooga, TN  37403
Phone: 423-755-4627
Fax: 423-785-2282
email: [log in to unmask]