The LSU Presidential Search Committee held a meeting via Zoom Jan. 14 to discuss the progress and upcoming stages of the search for a permanent University president.
In early November, the Presidential Search Committee unanimously decided to outsource the majority of the process to Parker Executive Search, a leading executive search firm.
Parker Executive Search has spent the past several months creating a rubric for who would be a proper presidential candidate and finalizing the position description.
Board of Supervisors Chair James Williams said the University is now “out in the marketplace looking to receive applicants.”
Parker Executive Search President Laurie Wilder joined the video-conference to explain the firm’s accomplishments thus far and their plan for moving forward. She said that in addition to developing the position description, extensive advertising in higher education magazines and other resources is currently taking place and the new website will be finalized this week.
Wilder defined the tentative end of the search as March 15.
Wilder said that they are now in the “aggressive outreach and recruiting of candidates stage.”
Thirty-four individuals have been nominated at this time, although this does not mean they have necessarily expressed interest in the position. Nominations and recommendations from outside parties are independent of the potential applicant’s interest.
Parker Executive Search is reaching out to “thought leaders” throughout the country to solicit more recommendations, as well as looking for potential applicants at other SEC, land-grant schools who serve in presidential or senior roles. Wilder said the position is “open” to people of various backgrounds and the firm is also looking at those in government positions, national laboratories and nonprofits.
In response to a question from a board member, Wilder noted that as the nominations currently stand, the options are not noticeably diverse.
“They’re not diverse right now as it relates to gender and underrepresented groups,” Wilder said.
She added, however, that there will likely be over 100 applicants by March 15 and that the pool of applicants will be drastically different at that time.
“We are very much paying attention to diversity,” Wilder said.
By the end of the search, Wilder and Williams said they hope to have 7-8 strong candidates who the LSU Presidential Search Committee will further vet and ultimately select from.
