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
Gwendolyn G. Joseph
Senior Consultant and Senior Executive Coach
Gwen.Joseph@academicsearch.org
Dr. Gwendolyn G. Joseph’s career is dedicated to guiding institutions through leadership changes and serving as a mentor and sounding board for those seeking to advance their careers. In addition, she has stepped into interim executive roles to lend her expertise to ensure an organization’s stability during major transitions, giving her a unique insight into governance and personnel changes. From her education to her leadership training and her work experience, Dr. Joseph is an outstanding asset in any search and consulting role.
Dr. Joseph served as an executive, an administrator, and adjunct faculty in various higher education systems and structures. As a Vice President with the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS), she provided leadership, support, and services to the 16 independently accredited, comprehensive community colleges in the System.
With oversight for human resources and organization development at KCTCS, she was actively engaged in all aspects of executive searches, which now guides her work as a senior search consultant with Academic Search. Through this experience, Dr. Joseph gained a broad perspective of the factors necessary to recruit top-tier candidates who will thrive if hired. She understands that prioritizing the search committees’ goals and concerns lays the foundation for a successful search.
Dr. Joseph served as the interim president/chief executive officer for two-year colleges experiencing a leadership transition in Montana, Kentucky, and Arizona. Her calm-under-pressure presence provided stability and strategic direction to institutions during what may otherwise be a tumultuous time. Additionally, she provided executive coaching and mentorship to those new to executive leadership positions.
A native Texan, Dr. Joseph earned a doctorate in Higher Education Administration from the University of Texas’ Community College Leadership Program, a master’s in occupational education from the University of Houston, and a bachelor’s in government from Lamar University.
Dr. Joseph thrives on learning and expanding her skillset. She completed Harvard’s Institutes for Management and Leadership in Education program and participated in the National Institute for Leadership Development, the Kellogg Foundation’s Expanding Leadership Diversity in Community Colleges, and Shell Oil’s School for Innovators. In addition, she is certified as an Appreciative Inquiry facilitator and in Prosci, Inc.’s change management and advanced change management methodologies.
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
