The Winthrop Presidential Search Committee has begun selecting potential presidential candidates from a pool of over 150 applications to interview over Zoom during the last week of January, according to an email addressed to students by Presidential Search Committee Chair Julie Fowler.
The interviewees will comprise of roughly a dozen applicants selected by the search committee on Jan. 18. Prior to the initial selection of candidates to interview, committee members were coached by Vice President for Human Resources, Employee Diversity and Wellness Lisa Cowart on how to avoid bias in the interview process and how to deal with interviewees avoiding or hijacking questions.
The Zoom interviews that conclude at the end of January will be followed by in-person, off campus interviews tentatively scheduled for early February, according to Fowler.
“It is important to note that this schedule may change, as candidates’ health status and ability to travel may play a role in scheduling what we typically refer to as ‘airport interviews,’” Fowler said in the email.
After the in-person interviews have concluded, the finalists will be revealed to the Winthrop community through an official press release and the selected few will be invited to the campus. The candidates will visit and interact with members of the Winthrop campus and community, including ”[the] vice presidents and deans, cabinet, students, faculty and staff leadership, Winthrop Foundation leadership,” and more, according to Fowler.
Fowler stated that the Presidential Search Committee is devoted to keeping the on-campus greetings as similar to previous searches as possible and spoke strongly for its role in the selection process.
“A public presentation and meet-and-greet will give the campus, alumni and greater Rock Hill community opportunities to reflect on the candidates’ qualifications and leadership presence. A feedback form will be available on the website for individuals to share their reflections with the search committee,” Fowler said. “I hope you are as excited as we are at the progress we’ve made and the upcoming activities that will get us closer [to] the finish line in this most important step to ensure Winthrop’s future success.”
The Johnsonian will continue to report on the presidential search as more information comes out.
