The University of New Mexico's national search for the school’s next provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs is moving forward. The firm, Isaacson and Miller, has posted the full job description and will assist in guiding the search process.

The position will be widely advertised with extensive outreach that includes access to areas conducive to generating a diverse pool of strong leaders from varied backgrounds.

UNM’s search committee, announced earlier this year, will be chaired by Distinguished Professor of Psychology, Barbara S. McCrady. The search committee is charged with recruiting, evaluating and referring candidates who are exceptionally talented and diverse. UNM President Garnett S. Stokes has requested the committee to recommend four unranked candidates who would be considered for an on-campus interview. 

“Hiring effective leaders in higher education is critical to an institution’s success,” said Stokes. “We are launching the national search for prospective candidates to be the next UNM Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs.”

The search, which is one of three administrative level positions Stokes needs to fill in the coming year, officially began in late-October with listening sessions conducted for faculty, staff and students. The listening sessions were designed to allow the campus community to provide its perspectives about the future direction of UNM's academic mission and what the campus community would like to see in its new provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs.

Isaacson, Miller have synthesized what they learned during the listening sessions into an Opportunity and Challenge Profile. The profile provides a compelling description of UNM, its history, mission, and competitive environment, as well as a realistic and enticing picture of the challenges, measures of success, and ideal qualifications for the role. It will be shared broadly with prospective candidates and key sources.

Isaacson, Miller typically divides executive searches into five phases which include: Understanding the Challenge; Networking and Screening of Prospective Candidates; Narrowing the Field: Semi-finalist Selection and Interviews; Selecting Finalists and Checking References; and The Final Choice.

The UNM community and others are encouraged to submit nominations.

For more information on the search, visit Isaacson, Miller or UNM’s Executive Search website.