Six members of the Presidential Search Committee met with Palaeopitus this past weekend in an effort to elicit more student input in the search process.
The hour-long meeting, which was led primarily by committee chairman William King '63, disclosed little information on the search, but provided an opportunity for Palaeopitus -- a group of senior leaders who advise and make recommendations to the President and Dean of the College -- to voice opinions on what students are looking for in the next president.
In a letter from all twenty members of Palaeopitus to the search committee, Palaeopitus highlighted their desire for a "charismatic leader" who is also a friend to students. "At this point in time, Dartmouth students desperately need a role model to look to for ideals and values," the letter stated.
Palaeopitus member Marene Jennings '98 said the student body needs someone who will continue to emphasize academics, but will also "be more interactive with the student population. His qualities and his strengths should compliment President Freedman's," she said.
Although King said the application process was basically over and the period of interviews had begun, he did not release the name of any of the applicants, nor even the number of applicants being considered.
Whether the search committee will take Palaeopitus' recommendations for a visible and student-oriented President seriously is unclear.
"There are so many issues, and no one was not singled out as more important than another," Jennings said.
The search committee is expected to submit either one or several names to the Board of Trustees sometime during the Spring term. The Trustees will then make their decision based on the information provided.
The search committee carries out a strenuous and thorough search process, and it is highly irregular for the Trustees to go against the recommendation of the search committee.
Most top-rated college traditionally execute an extremely "tight-lipped" search process.
Since many candidates apply without informing their current employer -- typically another university -- the need to feel secure in their anonymity is a major factor in their decision to submit an application.
"It's a sensitive issue ... when it does get leaked out, it is hurtful to the candidates," Jennings said.
Although Palaeopitus and the Student Assembly "have been concerned with student representation on the numerous search processes from the start," Palaeopitus member Rob Nutt '98 said, the issue of student representation on the search committee was not a focus of this particular meeting.
Some students, such Case Dorkey '99, who chairs the Assembly's administration and faculty relations committee, have expressed concern that having only one undergraduate representative on the search committee puts too much pressure on Erica Ryu '98, the only student representative on the committee.
