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
Thomas C. Shandley
Senior Consultant
Thomas.Shandley@academicsearch.org
Dr. Thomas C. Shandley’s more than four decades in higher education leadership roles at private and public institutions lay the foundation of his work as a senior consultant. He understands the influence of excellent leadership on an institution and how it affects the students, employees, and community. His contributions at Academic Search continue to fulfill his mission of helping schools operate at their highest levels by hiring the best leaders to provide the best education possible for students.
Before joining the firm in October 2017, Dr. Shandley served as Davidson College’s Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students for 23 years. He was also the Dean of Student Affairs at Rhodes College, giving him nearly three decades of experience in private liberal arts institutions. Dr. Shandley played a vital role at both schools in hiring decisions, strategic planning, and leadership development in various student affairs and academic functions.
Dr. Shandley also spent time in large public university settings, as he held positions in student affairs at the University of South Carolina and the University of Minnesota. Additionally, he has an insider’s understanding of the needs of faculty, as he served on the adjunct faculty in higher education at the University of Memphis and taught in the Graduate College of Education at Appalachian State University. Dr. Shandley has a complex understanding of higher education governance and a sharp eye for talented professionals that, when placed in the correct positions at the right institution, can help everyone thrive.
Dr. Shandley’s reputation as a renowned leader in student affairs has expanded internationally. As a longtime member of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, he was the Vice President for Region III, which includes the southeastern United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, parts of Africa, East Asia, and the Middle East. Dr. Shandley also organized the first-ever NASPA Institute for Senior Student Affairs Officers held outside the United States—at the University of Salamanca in Salamanca, Spain. Additionally, he was part of a national delegation of student affairs leaders selected to attend the inaugural International Conference on Student Affairs at Fudan University in Shanghai, China, and he was the interim Dean of Student Affairs at Duke Kunshan University in Kunshan, China.
These varied experiences both domestically and abroad have helped him maintain a vast network of higher education professionals and the ability to understand the particular leadership needs of an institution. Understanding the leadership expectations of a position is gained through thoughtful and deliberate conversations with multiple constituents, and Dr. Shandley brings strong communication and analytical skills to develop a position profile that is most apt to attract qualified candidates. He is diligent about providing a diverse pool of applicants that are uniquely prepared for a leadership role in every search he facilitates.
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
