From Dr. Paul Okanda, Chair of the search committee

We are pleased to inform you that our search for the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs is under way.

Our search consultant, Maya Ranchod Kirkhope of Academic Search, Inc., has developed a job ad and position profile describing the key institutional needs and priorities, as well as a related set of desired characteristics for our next DVC-A & SA. The Search Committee has spent time discussing and revising the position profile, taking into consideration the range of opinions and recommendations from the campus community with regard to the qualifications, experiences and skills sought. We are very grateful for your suggestions and we will consider your input as we narrow down the candidate pool to select our semi-finalists and finalist candidates.

The job ad has been posted in a number of publications including The Chronicle of Higher Education, Inside Higher Ed, and Daily Nation.

We invite you to suggest people you know who could serve effectively as our next Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs or who might recommend potential candidates. When nominating, please complete the confidential online nomination form on this website or forward the name(s) and contact information to our consultant. The success of our search will depend on the involvement, support and interest of all members of our University community. Our consultant has begun to work on generating a robust candidate pool. In addition to posting the job ad in key publications, she will reach out to a broad network of contacts and follow up on nominations submitted by you and other members of the higher education community.

The Search Committee will begin to review applications in mid-November and expects to identify a small group of candidates whose skills and expertise appear to be most closely related to our needs. The committee expects to conduct initial candidate interviews in January and plans to invite finalists to campus in February 2020. We expect the successful candidate to assume office by May 2020.

You will receive another update on the search in a few weeks.

Thank you for your interest and support.

Dear Members of the USIU-Africa community,

Happy New Year!

We (members of the DVC-A&SA Search Committee) are very pleased to inform you that our DVC-Academic & Student Affairs search is well under way. We are writing to provide you with an update on the progress of this search.

As you may be aware, we are entering the final phase of our recruitment effort for the next DVC-Academic & Student Affairs which includes an invitation to the finalist candidates to visit campus. We are in discussions with a number of candidates and have thus far invited three finalist candidates to visit campus. We will inform you as soon as we finalize dates for one or more additional candidates to visit campus.

Thus far, we have finalist candidates scheduled to visit campus on:

Candidate One: January 15^th and 16^th

Candidate Two: January 27^th and 28^th

Candidate Three: January 29^th and 30^th

We are finalizing arrangements for campus visits by the finalists and attached, find the schedules.

We will provide the campus community with a secure link to the resume for each of our finalist candidates on our intranet about 24 hours before each candidate visits campus. We have scheduled opportunities for various campus constituent groups to meet with each of the candidates and encourage all interested members of the campus community to participate where possible.

The purpose of these campus visits is two-fold. First, they will enable us to know the candidates better. Second, and perhaps more importantly, the visits will allow us to further acquaint the candidates with USIU-Africa.

Throughout the search process, the Search Committee has pledged to protect the identity of the candidates. While we can no longer promise complete confidentiality to these finalists as they present themselves on campus, we urge you to bear in mind that each of them holds a significant position elsewhere, and we urge you NOT to make personal inquiries about them but rather to communicate your comments, questions, or concerns, to a member of the Search Committee. The Search Committee believes that these candidates are capable of providing effective leadership for USIU-Africa and are excited for you to have the opportunity to meet them.

Following their meeting with each of the candidates, those of you who participate in the conversations will be asked to complete a form (on-line or hard copy) that will allow us to capture your feedback on each of the candidates. This information will be tabulated and shared with both the Search Committee and the Vice Chancellor as they deliberate on both the strengths and limitations of each candidate.

After this, the Search Committee will share its collective thoughts with the Vice Chancellor – who, having full information on each candidate, will make the final decision. We will announce the selection of our next DVC-Academic & Student Affairs once a contract has been signed.

If you have any questions or concerns about this final phase of the search, please feel free to contact me.

Thank you for your interest and support.

Paul Okanda on behalf of the DVC Search Committee

DVC Finalists Campus Visit Schedules

Click here to download to the search profile prospectus

September 2019:

• Search consultants visit campus to meet with all campus constituent groups
• Consultant meets with Search Committee
• Consultant finalizes job description (search profile)

October 8, 2019:

• The search goes “live”
• Consultant builds candidate pool

November 18, 2019:

• Soft deadline for applications
• Search Committee meets to shortlist candidates for further consideration
• Search Committee and search consultant conduct reference calls on shortlisted candidates

January 2020:

• Search Committee conducts face-to-face interviews with semi-finalist candidates
• Search Committee selects the finalist candidates to visit campus

February 2020:

• Several finalist candidates visit campus for two days each and meet with a wide range of campus constituent groups

February 2020:

• Search Committee meets to synthesize materials and information gathered on the finalist candidates and develops a report for the Vice Chancellor
• Search Committee shares its findings on finalist candidates with the Vice Chancellor

February 2020:

• The Vice Chancellor selects the next Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs

May 2020:

• New Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs takes office

Dr. Paul Okanda

Chair and Director, Information & Communications Technology (ICT)

Mr. Robert Onsarigo

Vice Chair and Dean of Students (representing Student Affairs)

Prof. Rwekaza Mukandala

Member and Chair, Academic Committee (representing University Council)

Mr. Paul Kasimu

Member and Chair, Talent Management & Human Resources Committee (representing University Council)

Dr. Judith Obura

Member and Director, Finance (representing Management Board)

Mr. Omar Abdulwadood

Member and Chair, Student Council (representing Students)

Mr. Stephen Kiseli

Member and Chair, Staff Council (representing Staff)

Dr. Naomi Nyarigoti

Member and immediate former Chair, Faculty Council (representing Faculty)

Prof. Valerie Adema

Member and Dean, School of Science & Technology (representing Deans)

To attract the best candidates, retain until closure those who are most competitive, and fulfill a responsibility to treat candidates confidentially and ethically, the search committee must commit itself to the following code of ethics:

• As a member of this search committee, I accept the responsibility, shared by my fellow committee members, to protect the integrity of the institution and respect the rights and dignity of all persons involved.
• I will maintain in strict confidence and in perpetuity all information about candidates during the search process (e.g., names, written materials, references) as well as not reveal any of the committee members’ work on this process, including discussions or decision-making during the process or at any time thereafter.
• I will put aside personal agendas, biases, or political positions so that each candidate has an honest and fair evaluation.
• I agree to disclose all real or potential conflicts of interest to the co-chairs of the committee or the entire committee.
• I certify that I am not, nor will I become, a candidate for the position.
• If members of the search committee conducts reference calls, I will receive candidate permission prior to reference checking.
• I will guard against inaccuracies, carelessness, bias, and distortion made by either emphasis or omission of information and will give accurate and complete reports on candidates to the committee.
• I will take care when taking notes in interviews or filling out evaluation forms. Institutional discrimination laws and policies are to be adhered to at all times. I will only consider information that is relevant to the search process, e.g., whether the candidate has the necessary experience, education, and skills for the position in question.
• I acknowledge that only the co-chairs of the search committee is authorized to speak to the news media on behalf of the committee.
• I consider the letter and spirit of this statement to be a matter of personal responsibility.

Will there be regular updates on the search for Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs (DVC-A & SA)?

Yes; the search chair will provide regular updates to the University community at critical points in the search. Please check this website periodically for updates.

How can I make a nomination?

There is a confidential online nomination form on this website. We ask that you carefully review the qualifications and experiences as outlined in the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs Search Profile before submitting a nomination. Your nomination will go directly to the search consultant and she will reach out to the nominee. The search consultant will not provide your name to the nominee, but you are free to do so.

What is the role of the Search Committee Chair?

The search chair is the official spokespersons for the search committee. The chair will provide regular updates to the USIU-Africa community and will address any questions or concerns from members of the community through the duration of the search process.

What information can Search Committee members share with me?

The search committee is restricted in the information that they are able to share with the University community. The confidentiality statement that all members have signed requires that they not share any information discussed during search committee meetings. Also, they are not to share any information related to candidates, even after the search has closed.

Whom do I contact if I want to share specific information or if I have a question about the search?

As per the confidentiality statement and charge to the search committee, the search chair is the only individual authorized to speak on behalf of the search committee and the search process. Please contact the search chair or the search consultant if you have information that will be helpful to them.

Are internal candidates treated any differently than external candidates?

Internal candidates are vetted in the same way as external candidates. All candidates are assessed based on the criteria outlined in the Search Profile. The committee very carefully selects the strongest candidates, either internal or external, for further consideration based on the search qualifications and experiences.

Why is confidentiality so important in a search process?

Many of our candidates will hold key positions at other institutions and will only submit an application if confidentiality is guaranteed. Members of the search committee have signed an agreement that secures confidentiality for all discussions and deliberations related to the search. For your information, a copy of the confidentiality statement guiding the work of the Search Committee is available on the Search website.

How will members of the USIU-Africa community participate in the search process?

Many members of the University community participated in the presearch visit that the consultant held on campus in early September. As a result, the search consultant was able to gather valuable information and insights about the institution and the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs. This information will be particularly valuable to the search consultant during the recruiting phase of the search process.

When finalist candidates are selected, members of the University community will be strongly encouraged to attend campus-wide forums, as available. An online feedback form will be distributed to those who attend the forums to ensure that we gather feedback on the finalist candidates. Feedback from the community will be shared with the search committee as they deliberate on the strengths of and any concerns about each of the finalist candidates.

Will I have an opportunity to share my opinion of the finalists with the search committee?

Yes, in addition to sharing your feedback on finalists through the online feedback form that will provided when the finalists visit, you can also share your thoughts with members of the search committee.

When will our next Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs take office?

The next DVC-A & SA is expected to take office no later than May 2020.