Assuming the candidates are still available for the position, College Provost Barry Scherr, who chairs the search committee, said he does not expect the committee to look beyond the final pool of four applicants.
"We are hoping to make a recommendation based on the pool that we have now," Scherr said. "Our hope is to complete the interview process on campus in the next couple of weeks and to make a recommendation to the president shortly after that."
According to Scherr, the committee last checked that the candidates were still open for the position an estimated three to four weeks ago, at which time all candidates said they would be available to take the post. Scherr said that he does not believe any of the candidates have dropped from the candidacy despite the delay in the selection process.
"I'm assuming that people will still be available," he said. "I'm assuming we'll be able to make a decision."
The committee is currently considering Michelle Garfield of the University of Georgia, Thomas Crady of Grinnell College and Jean Kim, who recently vacated her position as vice president of student affairs at the University of Puget Sound citing personal reasons. Ambar, who will arrive on campus early next week, is currently dean of Rutgers University's all-women Douglass College.
Although Scherr stressed that, assuming candidate availability, the final recommendation to Wright will include applicants from the pool, Scherr affirmed the committee's right to recommend none of the candidates and instead continue a search beyond the pool.
"A committee can decide it wants to see more candidates after the finalists have visited," Scherr wrote in an e-mail, speaking of any general selection process. "Usually a committee makes its choice from among the initial round of finalists, but not always."
After visiting with all candidates, the committee, comprised of several faculty members and three undergraduate students in addition to Scherr, will meet to discuss the qualifications of each.
Because the final week of Spring term can be busy, Scherr said, there may be a delay in forming a recommendation. Scherr said he expects the committee to make a recommendation to Wright just before graduation or the beginning of Summer term.
Scherr said the new Dean of the College will ideally assume the position on July 1, admitting that this timing gives little time due to the delayed selection process. He said the new dean should begin by the end of Summer term.
