Another national search goes local

[Jacked_Up]

Once again, a “national search” in South Dakota for a high-level university administrator ended about where the hunt began. Most recently, Sheila Gestring, chief bean counter at USD, was selected by the Board of Regents to succeed Jim Abbott as president. The Regents’ search a couple years ago for a successor to SDSU President David Chicoine had a similar result, with in-school candidate Barry Dunn getting the job. The phrase “national search” has become a joke.

[Nidaros]

Re: Another national search goes local

Once again, a “national search” in South Dakota for a high-level university administrator ended about where the hunt began. Most recently, Sheila Gestring, chief bean counter at USD, was selected by the Board of Regents to succeed Jim Abbott as president. The Regents’ search a couple years ago for a successor to SDSU President David Chicoine had a similar result, with in-school candidate Barry Dunn getting the job. The phrase “national search” has become a joke.

Seems this National search is required by statute or has that been changed?

[SF_Rabbit_Fan]

Re: Another national search goes local

Seems this National searche is required by statute or has that been changed?

Organizations (both public and private) have to give the appearance of a fair hiring process, but 9 times out of 10 the decision is made before the job is posted. IMO.

For high level jobs, the people who get screwed keep their mouths shut because there is no point to complaining and if they do they are blacklisted.

[Nidaros]

Re: Another national search goes local

Organizations (both public and private) have to give the appearance of a fair hiring process, but 9 times out of 10 the decision is made before the job is posted. IMO.

For high level jobs, the people who get screwed keep their mouths shut because there is no point to complaining and if they do they are blacklisted.

I think you have struck gold with the comment 9 out of 10, the decision is made before the job is posted. USD choice sure looks like that was the case. I recall the President before Abbott was a woman from Arizona, I believe. She did not help USD or the state of South Dakota. She had a very faithful First Man, who was always following her around at basketball games. With a national search, big mistakes can be made. Jim Abbott has done a good job at USD.

[goon]

Re: Another national search goes local

A lot of employers open a job search even if they have an internal candidate I mind. Might not be a national search but they don't just promote with out opening the job search and interviewing before making an offer. Some times that ducks though for the others considering they might have been a long shot at best.

[BTownJack]

Re: Another national search goes local

And just because they hired from within doesn't mean they didn't actually search on a national level.

[Rabbit74]

Re: Another national search goes local

And just because they hired from within doesn't mean they didn't actually search on a national level.

Universities rarely if ever fake national searches. (Some searches are designated internal from the start.) A search committee is always formed that solicits and reviews candidates and recommends two-four to the person who actually does the hiring. Nothing would turn a search committee off more to a candidate than getting the impression that the decision had already been made in favor of a particular candidate. Inside candidates sometimes have an inside track because they know better what the issues are and can address them better in the interview process as well as be able to avoid land mines, but being an inside candidate also can be a disadvantage because everyone has an opinion about you and no one makes everyone happy. Inside candidates are also more likely to take the position at a lower salary. It is not unusual for an external candidate to have to take a pay cut to come to South Dakota even for a promotion in title, and many are not willing to do that. For some search committees there is a tendency to be comfortable with someone they know and with other committees there is a strong preference for new blood. I have been on many national search committees and can't think of any where the successful candidate was determined. I've been a successful and an unsuccessful applicant and seen being an internal candidate working to both my advantage and my disadvantage. I don't know the new USD President so don't have an opinion on her.

[BTownJack]

Re: Another national search goes local

USD's final 4 for their president position would prove it was closer to a national search than not:

1. Kelli McCormack/Brown (Georgia State)
2. Christopher Callahan (Arizona State)
3. Sheila Gestring (U. South Dakota)
4. Phillip Way (Slippery Rock)

https://www.argusleader.com/story/ne...ent/536960002/

[Nidaros]

Re: Another national search goes local

USD's final 4 for their president position would prove it was closer to a national search than not:

1. Kelli McCormack/Brown (Georgia State)
2. Christopher Callahan (Arizona State)
3. Sheila Gestring (U. South Dakota)
4. Phillip Way (Slippery Rock)

https://www.argusleader.com/story/ne...ent/536960002/

Yes it does look like a national search and whether they made the right choice remains to be seen, but picking the main bean counter can not be all bad, she will come in with a huge understanding of finance at USD, working with the SDBOR and the legislature. Does she know how to deal with all the issues coming down the road? How well is she liked in the USD community? These are some of the unanswered questions but a another look at the article cited in BTown post indicates a good choice:

• Gestring: Vice president of finance and chief financial officer, University of South Dakota. As chief financial officer since 2010 and on the USD finance staff since 2006, Gestring has stabilized the university’s financial position, developed innovative financing plans for new facilities, and worked with the USD Foundation to set major fund-raising goals and priorities for the university. A record-setting donor campaign surpassed its goal of $250 million several months early. Prior to coming to USD, Gestring was chief financial officer at Flathead Valley Community College in Montana and worked in increasingly responsible finance positions for South Dakota state government. She has a M.B.A. from the University of South Dakota and a bachelor’s degree in accounting and business administration from the University of Sioux Falls.

[Jacked_Up]

Re: Another national search goes local

I'd prefer a visionary-type in the top leadership position at a state university. The president can get all the bean-counting and care-taking help that he or she needs. Is President Dunn a visionary? I don't know. He hasn't demonstrated much yet. In the early years, few would have accused President Abbott of being a visionary, either. He was a politician and businessman who slowly earned broad support. I liked David Chicoine. I think he is under-appreciated for the overall job he did as president at SDSU.

[goon]

Re: Another national search goes local

I'd prefer a visionary-type in the top leadership position at a state university. The president can get all the bean-counting and care-taking help that he or she needs. Is President Dunn a visionary? I don't know. He hasn't demonstrated much yet. In the early years, few would have accused President Abbott of being a visionary, either. He was a politician and businessman who slowly earned broad support. I liked David Chicoine. I think he is under-appreciated for the overall job he did as president at SDSU.

Peggy was a visionary for SDSU for sure. She saw the potential that most of SDSU community couldn't see or didn't think was possible. Peggy was the best IMHO. I don't take that as a knock to any others, I feel SDSU is on a string of great presidents. I think what's impressive is the quality of deans and administrators SDSU has had. just the last couple years we have had 2 become flagship state university presidents. Dunn and Nichols.

[Jacked_Up]

Re: Another national search goes local

Good points, Goon. I agree that Peggy Miller was a visionary. She definitely pushed the school ahead and gained a lot of respect for doing it.

[Mr_Tibbs]

Re: Another national search goes local

Just because three out of their four finalists are from out of state does not mean that the hiring committee didn't have a candidate in mind already.

I won't go into great detail on it, but in speaking with some faculty about the hiring process SDSU underwent two years ago, having all four candidates do rounds of interviews on campus in single day was highly unusual for a top executive position, and indicated that the decision had likely already been made.

That opinion comes from other faculty who have served at other universities and been involved with other hiring processes. To be fair, those faculty were fairly old, and the 4-in-one-day system may be more common now. Typically, each candidate is given a couple of days for their interviews in a single week, and the next candidate comes in the following week, and so forth. It doesn't mean it was a bad hire for SDSU. But three out of the four candidates for SDSU were also external, and the impression was that those candidates were not as strongly considered based on the timing and set up of the on campus interviews. I would be curious to see if USD used a similar process in their recent hire.

[jackrabbit1979]

Re: Another national search goes local

Just because three out of their four finalists are from out of state does not mean that the hiring committee didn't have a candidate in mind already.

I won't go into great detail on it, but in speaking with some faculty about the hiring process SDSU underwent two years ago, having all four candidates do rounds of interviews on campus in single day was highly unusual for a top executive position, and indicated that the decision had likely already been made.

That opinion comes from other faculty who have served at other universities and been involved with other hiring processes. To be fair, those faculty were fairly old, and the 4-in-one-day system may be more common now. Typically, each candidate is given a couple of days for their interviews in a single week, and the next candidate comes in the following week, and so forth. It doesn't mean it was a bad hire for SDSU. But three out of the four candidates for SDSU were also external, and the impression was that those candidates were not as strongly considered based on the timing and set up of the on campus interviews. I would be curious to see if USD used a similar process in their recent hire.

I don't recall that all four candidates were on campus on the same day. IIRC, they all had one day on campus, meeting with various groups of constituents during their "day", as well as opportunities the evening prior and evening of the interviews.

[Mr_Tibbs]

Re: Another national search goes local

I don't recall that all four candidates were on campus on the same day. IIRC, they all had one day on campus, meeting with various groups of constituents during their "day", as well as opportunities the evening prior and evening of the interviews.

You may be correct on that, I can't recall completely. They were all condensed into a short period of time, within a single week.