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
John W. Garland
Senior Consultant
John.Garland@academicsearch.org
Mr. John W. Garland’s distinguished career provides him with experience as a college president, attorney, university counsel, civil rights advocate, and skilled evaluator of executive talent.
Before his prestigious work in law and higher education began, Mr. Garland developed leadership skills in extreme circumstances. The Harlem, NY native enlisted in the Marines at 17, and he saw military action during the Cuban Missile Crisis and in Panama. Then, as a 22-year-old squad leader in South Vietnam, Mr. Garland was awarded a Purple Heart for wounds sustained in combat. Following his recovery, Mr. Garland stepped onto Central State University’s campus as a 24-year-old freshman, and he finished his bachelor’s in just three years. He would eventually return to lead the public HBCU as its president, but not before earning his Juris Doctor from Ohio State University and making his mark as a trial lawyer and civil rights attorney in Washington, DC.
While running his legal practice in the nation’s capital, a job application for general counsel at the University of the District of Columbia piqued his interest. Mr. Garland applied, and in 1988 his career in higher education began. After three years at UDC, Mr. Garland moved on to the University of Virginia in 1991, eventually becoming Executive Assistant to the President. Mr. Garland developed an interest in college presidency, and his alma mater was the ideal place to put his experience and leadership to the test.
As president of Central State University from 1997 to 2012, Mr. Garland dramatically improved the school’s standing. Under his leadership, enrollment increased 160 percent, eight buildings were constructed, and Mr. Garland helped successfully secure 1890 Land-Grant Institution status, propelling research, increasing funding, and supporting new generations of students.
After retiring from CSU, Mr. Garland served as the Thurgood Marshall College Fund’s first President-in-Residence. Additionally, Mr. Garland is a former member of the American Council on Education’s Board of Directors and chair of its Commission on Minorities in Higher Education. He previously served on the Board of Visitors of the Marine Corps University, and Mr. Garland is a lifetime member of the Disabled American Veterans, the Military Order of the Purple Heart, and the NAACP.
Mr. Garland’s determination and problem-solving skills make him an excellent partner in searches, along with his remarkable knowledge of university governance, supportive approach, and willingness to collaborate. For every search he performs, Mr. Garland works diligently to find the best possible candidates who will thrive and support the school’s goals.
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
