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
Scott Flanagan
Managing Director, Senior Consultant, and Senior Executive Coach
Scott.Flanagan@academicsearch.org
Dr. Scott Flanagan is on a mission to help the institutions he works with to find and develop the senior leaders they need to thrive. He has dedicated years to honing his recruiting craft and furthering his education to become a national leader in this important work.
Due to his professional experience, academic preparation, and well-developed networks, Dr. Flanagan helps institutions think strategically about their needs, attract strong and diverse candidate pools, and engage in processes that result in selecting leaders ideally suited for that institution at that moment. It is in this area that Dr. Flanagan excels, and it’s what makes him an asset in every executive search.
Before joining Academic Search in 2019, Dr. Flanagan spent 21 years on Edgewood College’s executive staff, culminating with a five-year stint as its president. He also served as the private Dominican college’s vice president of planning and enrollment and spent three years on the education faculty. Throughout his higher education career, Dr. Flanagan earned the esteem of his colleagues and was elected to several honorable positions, including a three-year term on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities and president of the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference, an NCAA Division III conference. In addition, Dr. Flanagan was a member of the executive committee and chair of the Dominican Higher Education Consortium, the nationwide association of Dominican colleges and universities.
Prior to his time at Edgewood College, Dr. Flanagan served as vice president of enrollment services at the University of St. Francis in Indiana, where he earned his MBA. A Wisconsin native, Dr. Flanagan received his bachelor’s degree in political science and is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Flanagan earned a doctorate in higher education management from the University of Pennsylvania and recently received a certificate in professional coaching from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After holding this array of cabinet titles and working alongside all executive positions, Dr. Flanagan can confidently assist across a wide variety of job openings in higher education.
As a lifelong higher education devotee, Dr. Flanagan has found his niche in the consulting and recruiting realm. He is known for his ability to attentively listen to the needs of his campus partners and underscore the goals the institution hopes to accomplish in the future. By highlighting these desires, Dr. Flanagan can scour his extensive network to find the precise candidates who have the potential to lead the school to success. It is common for Dr. Flanagan to be sought out by the same institution multiple times for various searches, as he is excellent at earning a staff’s trust and maintaining the bonds he builds.
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
