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Board of Governors

Charge to Establish a Search Advisory Committee

Whereas, Irvin D. Reid has announced his retirement from the Presidency of Wayne State University, effective at the end of the 2007-2008 academic year; and

Whereas, the Wayne State University Board of Governors is authorized by the Constitution of Michigan to elect a President of the University; and

Whereas, the Board of Governors of Wayne State University wishes broadly to seek advice and counsel from persons in the University and in the community;

Therefore be it resolved:

That the Wayne State University Board of Governors hereby establishes a search advisory committee to provide information and advice to the Board of Governors and to develop and recommend for consideration a prospective pool of candidates, but does not delegate to that committee any authority to undertake or perform any governmental act that is the responsibility of the Board of Governors under the Constitution or laws of Michigan;

That the Wayne State University Board of Governors retains its full authority to elect a president from a list of finalists that it alone creates, and may do so from among those persons recommended to it by the search advisory committee established by this resolution or from among any other persons that the Board of Governors may, in its discretion, wish to consider.

That the Wayne State University Board of Governors appoints the following persons in their individual and representative capacities to serve on the search advisory committee:

That the Wayne State University Board of Governors establishes the following responsibilities for the search advisory committee:

Chair of the Committee Eugene Driker, Chair of the Board of Governors
Board of Governors Richard Bernstein, Vice-Chair, Board of Governors
Diane Dunaskiss
Jacquelin Washington, Committee Vice-Chair
Alumni Representatives Mary Ann Tyler-Allen, President, Alumni Association Elizabeth Hardy
Student Council President Cindy Chidi, Senior, Nutrition and Food Science, Pre-med
Academic Senate President Seymour Wolfson
Dean Phyllis Vroom, Social Work
Medical School Dr. Robert Mentzer, Dean
Dr. John Flack, Chair, Internal Medicine
Dr. Jose Rafols, Professor, Anatomy
Faculty Jorge Chinea, Liberal Arts and Sciences
James Hartway, Fine, Comm. & Perf. Arts
William Volz, School of Business Administration
Staff/Union Leadership Judy McClusty, President, Staff Association
Charles Parrish, President, AAUP-AFT
Business Community Representative Gary Torgow, The Sterling Group
Community Representatives The Honorable Claudia Morcom
Eddie McDonald, City of Detroit
Senior Administration Hilary Ratner, VP, Division of Research
Ahmad Ezzeddine, Academic Affairs
Executive Secretary to the Search Committee Chris Cook

  1. To receive the names of prospective candidates for President of the University from all sources available.
  2. To use all reasonable means to identify a broad and diverse pool of prospective candidates who meet the position description adopted by the Board of Governors. This shall include, but not be limited to: publication of announcements and advertising, direct contacts with persons knowledgeable about potential candidates for the presidency, direct contact with persons who meet the selection criteria established by the Board of Governors, and the use of a search consultant who shall be engaged by the Board of Governors to assist the search advisory committee. No member of the search advisory committee shall be considered by that committee as a candidate for the presidency.
  3. To take special care, to the fullest extent permitted by law, that women and minorities are among those whose applications or nominations for the presidency are sought.
  4. To conduct a vigorous search that will include contacting potential candidates for the presidency, discussing the opportunity with them, and attempting to interest them in the position of President of Wayne State University.
  5. To assemble and review all data available on the candidates.
  6. To interview candidates.
  7. To use as a benchmark in evaluating candidates the presidential selection criteria established by the Board of Governors.
  8. To provide an unranked list to the Board of Governors of at least five persons whom the search advisory committee finds, in light of the selection criteria established by the Board of Governors, to be the most highly qualified candidates for the presidency.  The search advisory committee shall meet to interview each such candidate before his or her name is submitted to the Board of Governors.  The list of the most highly qualified candidates shall be determined by a majority vote of the search advisory committee.
  9. To maintain strict confidentiality of the search advisory committee proceedings and materials to the fullest extent permitted by the law. This includes, but is not limited to:  conducting all meetings and interviews in private; maintaining as confidential the identity of all candidates who request confidentiality; maintaining the confidentiality of all application materials and records; maintaining confidentiality as to the persons who nominated or suggested candidates.
  10. With the exception of the Chair of the search advisory committee, who will be the sole spokesperson for the committee, all members shall refrain from having any communications with, or revealing any information to, the press or any non-committee members (including members of the Board of Governors who are not members of the search advisory committee) about the search proceedings or the candidates under consideration by  the committee.  Nothing in this section prohibits the Chairperson of the Search Advisory Committee from making available for separate, informal review by members of the Board of Governors who are not members of the Search Advisory Committee copies of resumes, references, and other material relating to the candidates.
  11. To obtain the advice of the Vice President and General Counsel and such other counsel who shall be designated by the Board of Governors as counsel to the Board in the conduct of the search, to assure that its procedures and operations fully conform to law and in any circumstance involving any issue of confidentiality arising from the commitments set forth in the previous paragraph.
  12. To set a regular meeting schedule as determined by the members of the committee and to attend all regular meetings.
  13. To adhere in all of its proceedings to Robert’s Rules of Order.
  14. To immediately advise the Board of Governors of any vacancy on the search advisory committee so that the Board can fill said vacancy expeditiously.
  15. In the event the search advisory committee is unable to adequately function under this charge, it shall immediately report to the Board of Governors for further instruction.
The Board of Governors shall appoint, from outside the search advisory committee, an Executive Secretary of the committee, and shall provide the committee with space, clerical and stenographical assistance and such funds as may be required. The Executive Secretary shall be an ex-officio member of the committee without vote, will take minutes of the meetings of the committee, and perform such other functions as the Chair or a majority of the members of the committee shall designate. The Chair of the Board of Governors may assign to the Secretary of the Board such duties and responsibilities in connection with the search as shall facilitate the success of the Committee and the search process.
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