Chancellor Holden Thorp announced last week Provost Bruce Carney would be stepping down from his position on June 30.
Given the importance of the provost position, the search process for Carney’s replacement should be thoughtful and reflect the needs of the University.
But administrators should avoid wasting time and money by first figuring out if what they want is in their own backyard.
When Carney’s predecessor, Bernadette Gray-Little, resigned, administrators appointed a 17-member committee and hired the consulting firm R. William Funk & Associates for $72,800 to conduct the search for a permanent replacement.
But when Thorp asked Carney in 2009 to take on the position full-time, he wasn’t even a search committee find.
Relying on headhunting firms, a common practice in higher education, is costly and, like in the 2009 provost search, could be fruitless if none of the finalists match the University’s needs.
Before Carney’s appointment, Funk & Associates assisted UNC in the 2008 search for a chancellor, looking nationwide before tapping Thorp for the position.
His replacement as dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, Karen Gil, was also an internal candidate hired following a national search. UNC budgeted just below $500,000 to find those three administrators.
Internal candidates have institutional knowledge, an established reputation, and good relationships with faculty and administrators — and a devotion to the institution.
