About UMFK

The Presidential Search Committee, appointed to advise the chancellor and Board of Trustees of the University of Maine System, is composed of representative membership from the Board of Trustees (3, appointed by the Board chair, one of whom is designated by the Board chair to serve as committee chair. If the term of any Trustee member of the committee ends before the search is concluded, at the Board chair’s sole discretion, the Trustee may be designated to continue on the committee as a Trustee member until the search is concluded. ), faculty (3, selected by the faculty senate or governance body), undergraduate student body (1 plus an alternate undergraduate student body, selected by the student senate or governance body), graduate student body (1, applicable only at universities where there are doctoral programs, selected by the graduate student governance or advisory body), academic administration (1, selection process coordinated by the provost or vice president for academic affairs, including input from academic administrators such as deans, associate or assistant provosts and deans, and department chairs where that position is excluded from the bargaining unit. The provost or vice president of academic affairs will recuse him/herself from this role if he or she is considering applying for the position.), salaried staff (1, selected by the applicable governance or advisory body), hourly staff (1, selected by the applicable governance or advisory body), Board of Visitors (1, selected by the Board of Visitors), alumni/ae or general community representative to be appointed by the chancellor from recommendations received from groups such as the alumni association, foundation, and other university-related groups not already represented on the committee (1), and one designee of the chancellor (1, selected by the chancellor). The committee’s chair and spokesperson is Trustee Kelly Martin.

The Presidential Search Committee is charged with recommending to the chancellor, no later than March 6, 2020 an unranked list of at least two, but no more than four, individuals who, in the committee’s judgment, are well qualified to lead the University of Maine at Fort Kent as its next president, to serve in the combined role of provost as well, along with the committee’s assessment of the candidates’ strengths and weaknesses.

Actions essential to fulfilling the charge include:

• Adoption of operating procedures for the committee to guide its tasks and decision-making;
• Adherence to a timetable which covers the entire time frame necessary to develop recommendations for the chancellor;
• Adoption of a statement on preferred presidential characteristics to be used as guidelines throughout the process, including characteristics articulated and/or approved by the Board of Trustees and chancellor in the charge to the committee (Close collaboration of the chancellor, Board and committee in defining the preferred characteristics will enhance the quality of information to candidates and increase the likelihood of a successful search outcome.);
• Active conduct of a national search, to develop a pool of well qualified candidates, and ensure that the process is open to persons of diverse backgrounds in conformance with all equal opportunity and affirmative action guidelines;
• Adoption of a strategy for handling public relations which includes progress reports to the chancellor, the Board and the campus community;
• Through the committee chair, maintaining contact with the chancellor throughout the search;
• Recommending to the chancellor finalist candidates to be invited for on-campus interviews.
• Conducting on-campus visits for approved finalist candidates to provide input from faculty, students, staff and other constituents;
• An adherence to conduct that recognizes the importance of confidentiality within the requirements of an open public search.

The chancellor and Board of Trustees extend their gratitude to the members of the Presidential Search Committee for accepting this demanding and critically important assignment. Best wishes for the successful selection of a president.

September 24, 2019