Finalists selected for leader of Office for Civil Rights and Title IX Education and Compliance, April 15, 2019
Michael Zeig, chief of staff for the Office of the President and chair of the search committee for the new associate vice president for Civil Rights and Title IX Education and Compliance, recently provided an update on the two finalists for the position.
During the fall 2018 semester, the executive search firm Isaacson, Miller was selected as the university’s consultant for this search. Isaacson, Miller, working closely with the search committee, reached out broadly (including cultivating professional networks, attending conferences related to this position, and running job ads) to build a list of potential candidates. More than 125 potential candidates were considered during the course of the search. Based upon candidate interest in moving forward and initial evaluations of the education and experience of those who expressed interest in the position, the committee came to focus on nine applicants.
The search committee met to evaluate the nine candidates in depth and decided to invite three to interview. The committee conducted video interviews in late March and unanimously voted to proceed with on-campus finalist interviews for two candidates. Those candidates are Robert Kent, interim associate vice president for Civil Rights and Title IX Education and Compliance at MSU, and Anthony Walesby, director of the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access at Illinois State University.
Isaacson, Miller has begun referencing and background checks on these two individuals as the committee prepares for on-campus interviews to take place on April 17-18 and April 25-26. Each candidate will meet and interview with faculty, staff, students, and executives during their visit.
Public presentations and question-and-answer sessions will take place from 4 to 5 p.m. April 17 and 10 to 11 a.m. April 26, both occurring in the Hannah Administration Building Board Room (401). All presentations will be video recorded and posted at a later date for those unable to attend.
Each presentation will address the following topics:
- Given the 2018 6th Circuit decision in the Baum case and pending changes in federal Title IX regulations, how would you approach the oversight of investigations to ensure that MSU’s protocols and practice are legally compliant and also trauma-informed?
- How would you create and evaluate effective training and education programs around Title IX, civil rights, and anti-discrimination issues for faculty, staff, and students?
At the start of the search, the search committee outlined key attributes we were looking for in the new Associate Vice President for Civil Rights and Title IX Education and Compliance. We particularly emphasized our desire for a person who could build on MSU’s growing Office of Prevention, Outreach, and Education; had a background working in civil rights and Title IX compliance in higher education; had proven leadership experience leading and managing a team; experience driving civil rights initiatives in a large, fast moving, complex academic or regulatory environment; and had the proven ability to forge partnerships across a large organization. The search committee identified the two finalists moving forward as uniquely qualified to lead in each of the identified areas and we look forward to the campus community having an opportunity to interact with each finalist and provide feedback to the search committee.
-Michael Zeig, chief of staff, Office of the President