Greetings:

Six months ago, NCCU’s Chancellor’s Search Committee began one of the most critical assignments for the university: identifying candidates for chancellor of this illustrious institution. Our committee began working in August 2012 with a charge given by UNC President Tom Ross and responded by presenting him with the names of three highly qualified university administrators and educators in January.

On February 8, the UNC Board of Governors named Dr. Debra Saunders-White as the 11th chancellor of North Carolina Central University. It was a joyous moment for NCCU. A native of Hampton, Va., Dr. Saunders-White has a distinguished career in education, including working previously in the UNC system. She will begin on June 1 after serving as deputy assistant secretary for higher education programs at the U.S. Department of Education. Prior to her appointment with the Department of Education, she worked at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in the role of vice chancellor and interim associate provost.

Members of the NCCU family, including students, faculty, staff, alumni, Board of Trustees, as well as local partners and members of Durham community, warmly welcomed Dr. Saunders-White and her children, Paige and Cecil, to her new home at NCCU. Our university has gained a passionate and valuable advocate and committed servant leader in Dr. Saunders-White.

Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education said the following about NCCU’s new chancellor-elect:  “She has worked tirelessly to expand access to resources that have opened doors for millions of students across the country, and her leadership has furthered our Department’s efforts to ensure that more young people have the chance to go to college. I am personally grateful for her leadership and am thrilled that as chancellor at North Carolina Central University, she will continue to help our nation achieve President Obama's goal of again leading the world in college graduates.” For more about Dr. Saunders-White, please read the news release highlighting her appointment here.

I, along with the North Carolina Central University community, look forward to her tenure as we work collaboratively to position NCCU for even greater excellence.  Again I would like to take this opportunity to thank the members of the NCCU Chancellors Search Committee for their diligence in the search process.

Yours in Truth and Service,

Harold T. Epps

Greetings:

I am pleased to report to you that the search committee has made tremendous progress in our efforts to find the next chancellor of North Carolina Central University. Working closely with consultants from the executive search firm of Witt/Kieffer, we have reviewed the credentials of an extensive number of highly qualified leaders from across the United States. We have held face-to-face interviews with those candidates who rose to the top of our list. Throughout the process, committee members have been ever mindful of the invaluable input provided by our various constituencies – our students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members.  Although I cannot tell you specifics about the candidates, I can tell you this: The quality of those who want to be the next chancellor of NCCU is outstanding, and their credentials are stellar. All three bring a wealth and breadth of experience that is consistent with the attributes we laid out in our leadership statement. I think we’re confident that any would be a capable chancellor.

I also am pleased to inform you that our search committee is on schedule to meet our goal of having a new chancellor ready to lead the university by July 1. On Friday, January 18, the search committee provided a slate of candidates to the NCCU Board of Trustees, and the Board has forwarded the names of the three finalists to Tom Ross, UNC president, who will make the final recommendation to the UNC Board of Governors for approval.

It has been a pleasure to serve as chair of this committee, and to work with such dedicated group of people in our search for the next chancellor of North Carolina Central University.

Harold T. Epps
Chairman of the Chancellor's Search Committee

Greetings:

North Carolina Central University’s search for a new chancellor has drawn applications from 65 people. The pool of applicants has a rich mix of ethnic, gender and regional diversity with strong candidates from within and outside higher education. From the initial 65 applicants, 15 candidates were selected for further consideration.

The Chancellor’s Search Committee has identified seven candidates from the pool of 15 to be brought in for interviews in mid-December. Some of those will then be invited back for a second round of interviews.

In accordance with the UNC system’s process for selecting new chancellors, the search committee will submit our top choices first to the NCCU Board of Trustees. The board will then forward three nominees to UNC President Tom Ross who will choose one to be formally elected by the system’s Board of Governors.

Our plan is to deliver the names and qualifications of three candidates to President Ross in January 2013. We expect him to make a recommendation to the Board of Governors in February. The goal is to have a chancellor identified by March or April and on board no later than July 1.

I’m very encouraged by the strength of the candidates. We look forward to the challenge of refining the pool to the mandated three most qualified candidates.

Sincerely,

Harold T. Epps
Chairman of the Chancellor's Search Committee

Fellow Eagles,

I am happy to report that most of the logistics have been finalized and the search for our next Chancellor is well under way. On October 30, the Chancellor’s Search Committee convened to receive an update from Witt/Kieffer, our search firm. With just two weeks of advertising, we have received applications from 16 promising candidates. As expected, the initial pool offers considerable diversity in gender, ethnicity, experience and geographical location. These applicants represent 10 states where they serve as professors, deans, provosts and business executives. Twelve additional prospects have expressed serious interest. Many candidates identified NCCU’s reputation and brand as the reason for their interest in the position.

Advertisements appear in publications such as The Chronicle of Higher Education, Higher Education Jobs, Diversity, Women in Higher Education and the American Association of Colleges and Universities. Witt/Kieffer anticipates additional applications before the mid November deadline. In the interim, the Process Application Review Subcommittee will continue to analyze the candidate profiles. They will report their findings to the full search committee in late November. As we continue progressing, do refer good candidates for our consideration.

Again, I am both delighted and humbled to serve the Eagle Family in this most important capacity.

In Truth and Service,

Harold T. Epps
Chairman of the Chancellor's Search Committee

Last week, on September 25 and 26, the Chancellor Search Committee for North Carolina Central University convened several forums, including one with business and industry leaders at the American Tobacco Campus in Downtown Durham. The committee also met with members of the Durham community and NCCU alumni, faculty, staff and students on campus. These gatherings provided opportunities for engagement and dialogue that served to inform the committee’s work in defining the role, expectations and priorities for NCCU’s next chancellor.

The qualities most frequently mentioned and prescribed for our next CEO were: a leader with excellent fundraising skills; someone who has an appreciation for and a commitment to diversity; a leader with very strong interpersonal skills and open minded; an enthusiastic person who is thoroughly engaged with the business community; and a leader who is committed to shared governance.

In light of all the input we received, the Leadership Statement (chancellor’s job description) has been finalized, and it is posted on this website. The document will be turned over to Witt/Kieffer, the university’s search firm, so that they may launch their exploration. However, as chair of the Chancellor Search Committee, I strongly encourage you to review the statement, consider your professional relationships and urge good candidates you know to apply.

With our heartfelt thanks to all forum participants for your excellent, thoughtful comments, I wish you to know that your guidance will be invaluable as we move forward in selecting the next NCCU chancellor.

We will keep you apprised as we continue to make progress in this very important work.

In Truth and Service,

Harold T. Epps
Chairman of the Chancellor's Search Committee

As chair of the search committee for the next chancellor of North Carolina Central University, I want to take this opportunity to provide you with some general information regarding the search process. A committee of 19 members was named in late August. This distinguished and dynamic group includes representatives of key NCCU constituencies, including students, faculty, staff, Board of Trustee members, alumni, as well as business and community leaders throughout Durham. We are committed to furthering the goals and mission of NCCU. Together, we will ensure that the institution’s motto of “Truth and Service” is carried out through our next leader, who will follow in the footsteps of our revolutionary founder, Dr. James E. Shepard.

University of North Carolina President Tom Ross gave the committee its charge on September 6^th. He noted that the next chancellor should be a visionary leader who can continue to strategically position the university and its signature programs for greater success. President Ross also said the selected candidate should be an excellent fundraiser for the university, along with proven ability to develop partnerships with the business community.

While the committee members will dedicate their time and resources to this process over the coming months, we know that this process will not be successful without your input. Forums will be scheduled for September 25 and 26 with faculty, staff, students, alumni, the community and business and industry. We encourage you to participate and provide your valuable input.

A search firm has been hired to help recruit and evaluate qualified candidates.  Once the search committee selects final candidates, it will submit the names to the full NCCU Board of Trustees. The board will recommend a slate of finalists to President Ross, who then will recommend one candidate to the UNC Board of Governors.

I look forward to serving you in this important capacity for NCCU, as we aim to soar to new heights. Please check in on this site regularly as we will update our constituents throughout the search process.

In Truth and Service,

Harold T. Epps
Chairman of the Chancellor's Search Committee