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
Maria Thompson
Managing Director, Senior Consultant, and Senior Executive Coach
Maria.Thompson@academicsearch.org
Dr. Maria Thompson is a distinguished educator, administrator, renowned researcher, author, and respected advisor who has dedicated her career to empowerment through education. As a senior consultant with Academic Search, she can channel her knowledge and data-driven approach to guide an institution through a search that concludes with a successful hire.
Before joining Academic Search, Dr. Thompson was the first woman President of Coppin State University, one of the 12 University System of Maryland campuses and a prominent HBCU. Under her leadership, Coppin State improved its financial standing and laid the foundation for improving graduation rates and increasing enrollment. Dr. Thompson was also Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at the State University of New York at Oneonta, the first African American in the role. Her contributions were instrumental in the institutional accreditation process, and she initiated the first academic master plan and restructured the Division of Academic Affairs. Her efforts positioned the college for long-term strategic growth.
As a researcher, Dr. Thompson spent 13 years in her native state, building the research enterprise at Tennessee State University. She held various positions in TSU’s research administration and was named Vice President for Research and Sponsored Programs. One of her most remarkable accomplishments was when she was awarded $1 million by the National Science Foundation to create Tennessee State’s Interdisciplinary Graduate Engineering Research Institute.
Since her work experience spans a variety of institutional categories, Dr. Thompson’s contributions as a Senior Consultant are invaluable. With her lifelong adoration for research and a sharp eye for recognizing trends, Dr. Thompson approaches each search like it’s a research project. She immerses herself in the institution’s culture, gathers vital information from stakeholders, and commits to understanding the type of candidates the position needs. Her strategy is to ensure that all facts, wants, and needs are addressed early in the search process so that all involved agree and are pleased with the search’s outcome.
Dr. Thompson and her co-author Dr. Susan C. Turell have published two installments in a growing workbook series about administrative leadership. The first book, Running the Race: Transitioning into a New Leadership Role in Higher Ed, helps a new hire create a unique roadmap for the first three to six months of a leadership role. The second workbook, Courageous Gardening: Equity-Minded Leadership in Higher Education, guides leaders through the process of identifying inequities related to privilege and finding equitable and inclusive solutions. A third book focused on university governance will be published in 2023.
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
