Slowed by COVID-19, UNC System reviews candidates in presidential search
The UNC System search has been slowed by the coronavirus pandemic, but the search committee is continuing to meet virtually and consider candidates.
Kim Strach, the former executive director of the N.C. State Board of Elections who’s leading the search, said close to 100 people have applied. The committee has narrowed the “diverse pool of candidates” to 36 individuals, she said.
Those individuals have submitted their CVs and/or interest statements for the position. The committee reviewed the candidates at a virtual meeting Monday. Strach said the committee is still recruiting candidates and evaluating applications from people in North Carolina, around the U.S. and other countries. Murphy said the applicants are from traditional and non-traditional backgrounds.
The stay-at-home orders and social distancing issues has caused some potential candidates to reevaluate their interest, according to Strach.
Some people said they might not have applied to the position if this pandemic hadn’t forced them to take a step back and reflect, Strach said. And others who were really certain that they wanted this job have said now they don’t think they’re ready for it, she said.
COVID-19 has added to the lengthy process of evaluating candidates for the position. The UNC System presidential search has been actively ongoing since June 2019.
“While our timeline has been impacted by the current health crisis, we are confident we will soon move toward closure with the hiring of the next president of the UNC System,” said Wendy Murphy, member of the Board of Governors and co-chair of the search committee.
In April, Board of Governors Chair and search committee co-chair Randy Ramsey said they expected to be in the interview process by then. He also said as the committee plans to meet candidates face to face and suggested that UNC System interim President Bill Roper could stay in the role longer than planned.
Roper has been serving as the interim president since November 2018. He was scheduled to leave the position in June, but has said he’s willing to extend his time in that role if the board asks him to. There was no public discussion of that request at Monday’s meeting.
The next Board of Governors meeting is scheduled for May 19-20 at the UNC System Office in Chapel Hill or via video conference.
This story was originally published May 4, 2020 at 3:44 PM with the headline "Slowed by COVID-19, UNC System reviews candidates in presidential search."
