As the first organization dedicated to higher education executive search, our service model has always focused on outstanding executive recruitment for colleges and universities. We have years of experience in the sector and understand the unique needs higher education institutions have when hiring.
We’ve proudly concluded more than 2,600 successful searches for Presidents/Chancellors, Provosts, Vice Presidents, and Deans in a variety of disciplines.
Administrative Areas:
Academic Affairs | Admissions & Enrollment | Advancement | Business & Finance | General Counsel | Human Resources | Information Technology | Marketing & Communications | Operations | Student Affairs | Student Success | And Many Others
Academic Disciplines:
Architecture | Arts & Humanities | Business & Economics | Education | Healthcare/Nursing | Hospitality | Libraries | STEM | And Many Others
We’re With You Every Step of the Way
Academic Search serves as your partner in a collaborative search effort. Our senior consultants interact extensively with your search committee to assist with organizing and managing the search process, and informing the crucial decisions of the search committees and hiring authorities.
We use a four-step process to frame our higher education executive search process: organize the search; lead recruitment; evaluate, select, and interview semifinalists; and close the search.
Organize
Academic Search works side-by-side with our partner institutions to analyze your needs, set specific goals, and develop operating guidelines. During this preliminary phase, we meet with appropriate departments such as human resources to ensure that the search process conforms to the regulations, requirements, and culture of our partner institution or organization.
Recruit
A key step in the search process is building a strong candidate pool with the unique qualifications of the open position. By getting to know your institution well, we guarantee we are finding candidates who fit with the mission and culture of the role. We cast a wide net to find the very best candidates, locally, nationally, and globally, and tap into our extensive networks to identify a broad group of candidates.
Through our connection to leadership development programs through our parent organization, the American Academic Leadership Institute, and many of our consultants actively participating in conferences and programs across the country, we are able to tap into an even larger range of candidates who are ready for their next role.
Evaluate, Select, and Interview
We partner with your search committee in designing and implementing a selection process tailored to your needs and campus culture. Our process involves working with you to develop an objective review method for evaluating candidates. Our senior consultants are actively involved in recruitment and evaluation and openly share insights into conversations with candidates and others throughout the interview process.
Close the Search
Our senior consultants work with you to not only select the finalists but also perform background checks and reference calls. We ensure consistent communication with all finalists throughout the process.
Once the campus interviews are completed, we ensure the search is brought to a successful conclusion. Our consultants can help develop recommendations to the hiring authority to facilitate a smooth transition for the newly hired candidate which might include communications strategies and a transition plan.
Beyond the Search
Leadership transitions can be both energizing and stressful times for institutional communities. We strive to guide you and your institution through these changes throughout the leadership lifecycle by providing transition and onboarding support as well as executive coaching.
Why Academic Search
As the first executive search firm dedicated to higher education, we bring a deep understanding of the evolving challenges and opportunities within the higher education landscape. Our team is composed of higher education leaders who bring a wealth of knowledge and expansive networks. Through this experience, we are uniquely positioned to understand, appreciate, and address the specific needs of each institution we partner with.
High Retention Rates
The very high percentages of appointees from our searches who remain in office five years later is strong evidence of our careful attention to institutional/appointee fit.
Meet Our Senior Consultants
Carlos N. Medina
Senior Consultant and Senior Executive Coach
Carlos.Medina@academicsearch.org
Dr. Carlos N. Medina is the former Vice Chancellor and Chief Diversity Officer of the State University of New York (SUNY). Where he served as the founding Chief Diversity Officer at SUNY, the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the nation. Medina led SUNY’s efforts in promoting and advancing the University’s diversity goals and ensuring that they were properly captured within all university policies and procedures. He provided leadership and strategic direction to SUNY campuses in connection with the recruitment and retention of faculty, staff, and administrators who come from groups within our society that are underrepresented in higher education and in SUNY. As co-chair of the SUNY-wide Diversity Task Force he helped lead the charge of identifying new ways in which the System’s diversity can be increased to better reflect and be aligned with that of New York State. As a senior member of the Chancellor’s cabinet he assisted with strategic planning efforts leading to implementation of SUNY-wide policies and initiatives. Dr. Medina also served as regional representative to the Commission on Access, Diversity and Excellence of the Association of Public Land-Grant Universities (APLU); as a Board Member for the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE); and as the SUNY System representative in the joint effort of the National Association of System Heads (NASH) and the Education Trust in the Access to Success Initiative (A2S).
As a result of Medina’s leadership, SUNY has received the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award each year since its inception in 2012 and thru 2018 from Insight into Diversity Magazine, one of the oldest diversity publications to cover higher education nationally. Recently, he was named as a recipient of the 2016 Public Service Award by the Suffolk County, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commission, he received the NYS Assembly Citation for Community Service, as well as receiving the 2014 Diversity Visionary Award also given by Insight into Diversity Magazine, in recognition of his outstanding contributions in diversity and inclusion in higher education.
He has more than 30 years of progressive responsibility in state government and higher education with proven experience in leadership, management, and staff development. He earned his BSE from SUNY Cortland, his MPS from Cornell University, and his Doctorate in Education from St. John Fisher College in Rochester, NY. He is a member of Kappa Delta Pi.
We look forward to partnering with you. Contact us for a complimentary search consultation or request for proposal.
1250 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 700 Washington, DC 20036-2657
Phone: 202-332-4049
Fax: 202-234- 7640
