ABOUT US

R. William Funk & Associates is the premier firm dedicated to higher education search consulting. Our firm is recognized for its unparalleled record in recruiting many of the nation’s most esteemed college and university leaders. RWFA was founded on the belief that we are partners with our clients, working towards a mutual goal of advancing the universities and colleges we serve.

Drawing on our team’s decades of experience, RWFA has conducted successful searches for every major academic leadership position at universities across the country. Since our inception, RWFA has focused on our one major goal: delivering incomparable service to clients while recruiting world-class talent on their behalf. We accomplish this goal through personal, consultative attention and strong commitment to our clients.

Key R. William Funk & Associates Highlights:

  • The firm has accumulated numerous honors and accolades. Bill Funk, our founder, has been called the “guru of higher education recruiting” by The Chronicle of Higher Education. The American Council on Education (ACE) recognized our team’s work in recruiting women to senior-level positions in higher education by awarding us its Women’s Network Annual ‘Network Leadership Award’ several years ago. Hunt-Scanlon annually ranks us among the top search firms operating in the higher education arena and recently recognized us for conducting the “most important” searches in the industry in 2020.
  • RWFA and its consultants have recruited more than 430 Presidents and Chancellors over the past several decades… and a similar number of Provosts, Vice Presidents and Deans. We work with large research institutions as well as small liberal arts colleges throughout the nation. Over the years, we have recruited Presidents to more than half of all AAU institutions as well as to leading regional and comprehensive schools and small liberal arts colleges.
  • Our firm has an unparalleled record of recruiting women and minority candidates to top positions in higher education. We have assisted in breaking the gender and/or color line in the President position at approximately 60 universities located throughout the country. During the past five years, approximately fifty-percent of all of our placements have been women or minority candidates.
  • We are a proud member of the American Council on Education’s ‘Executive Search Roundtable.’ Our consultants are proven and experienced. They do not take on competing or conflicting assignments and are available to you 24/7. Your search is important to us.
  • A majority of our dozen core employees worked together for 10 years or longer and share high standards of teamwork and performance and work only in the higher education arena. All of our recruiters are experienced consultants who are “hands on” and we do not turn over searches to junior support staff to contact potential candidates. The consultant you hire will be committed to your search for its duration and will be available to you 24/7.
  • Our firm offers our clients the longest/best guarantee in the industry… if the person we place leaves the university within the first two years – for whatever reason – we will re-do the search for no additional fee, charging only for administrative and out of pocket expenses.

Achievements

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R. William Funk is the premier firm dedicated to higher education search consulting. Led by its founder and President, R. William (Bill) Funk, the firm is recognized for its unparalleled record in recruiting many of the nation’s most esteemed college and university leaders.

Solutions and Expertise

Our firm has long enjoyed the reputation as the firm of first choice’ when colleges and universities have been faced with the challenge of recruiting new senior leadership. We are proud of this legacy and are pleased that so many institutions have placed their trust in us to assist in the attraction of the very best leaders for their campuses and systems.

We believe that our deep experience recruiting very successful leaders is the greatest advantage we contribute to our clients’ searches. We have had the privilege of utilizing our accumulated knowledge in recruiting Presidents, Provosts, Vice Presidents, and Deans for colleges and universities across the nation.

Solutions
  • Advisory Services
  • Assessment
  • Executive Search
  • Flex RPO
  • Mgmt. Consulting
  • On-Demand Recruiting
  • Succession Planning
Industries
  • Colleges/Universities
  • Education
Functions

News Briefings

R. William Funk & Associates Seeking Dean for Southern Methodist University

R. William Funk & Associates has been retained by Southern Methodist University (SMU) to lead in its search for a dean of the Perkins School of Theology. This is an extraordinary opportunity to lead a school as it charts a course for its future. “SMU is entering the third year of a $1.5 billion capital campaign to attract

R. William Funk & Associates Tapped to Find New Leader for University of Florida Foundation

R. William Funk & Associates has been enlisted to conduct a nationwide search to find the next vice president of advancement and president of the University of Florida (UF) Foundation in Gainesville. Reporting directly to president Ben Sasse, the selected individual will be a member of the president’s cabinet and a key member of the

R. William Funk & Associates Recruits Dean for University of Louisville

R. William Funk & Associates has helped to recruit Dayna Touron as the new dean of the College of Arts and Sciences for the University of Louisville (UofL) in Kentucky.  Dr. Touran is associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and psychology professor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG). She will begin her

R. William Funk & Associates Assists Florida International University with President Search

R. William Funk & Associates has assisted in the recruitment of Kenneth A. Jessell as the sixth president of Florida International University (FIU). “In Dr. Jessell we have found the best possible leader for FIU at this moment in its history,” said Dean C. Colson, chair of the university’s board of trustees. “His passion, vision,