Greenwood/Asher Seeks Chief Diversity Officer for University of Delaware
September 5, 2019 – Greenwood/Asher & Associates, a Miramar Beach, FL-based executive recruitment firm, has been enlisted to find a chief diversity officer for the University of Delaware. Jan Greenwood, president of the firm, and Marion Frenche, practice leader for diversity, equity and inclusion, are leading the assignment.
The University of Delaware wants a seasoned academic administrator to provide innovative, progressive leadership, said Greenwood/Asher & Associates. The chief diversity officer will be charged with leading the university community efforts to build an environment of inclusive excellence.
Reporting to the university president, the chief diversity officer will serve on the president’s executive council and as chair of the executive council for diversity. The individual will also be expected to provide strategic leadership, oversight and vision in the administration of a range of services, programs, policies and procedures for faculty, staff and students related to advancing the institution’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.
“The chief diversity officer will be a leader, adviser, advocate, catalyst for change and institutional resource focused on infusing diversity, equity and inclusion into all programs and activities, tracking progress toward these goals and communicating progress to an engaged community,” said Greenwood/Asher & Associates.
A Senior Adviser
The chief diversity officer oversees and provides executive direction to the following areas: diversity education, assessment and outreach; institutional equity and compliance; academic diversity initiatives; faculty recruitment and development; the Center for the Study of Diversity and chief diversity advocates. The chief diversity officer also has dotted line oversight of the student diversity and inclusion director, assistant dean for diversity and inclusion (graduate college), director for precollege programs and diversity supplier.
The chief diversity officer will serve as the senior adviser to the president regarding all matters of diversity, equity and inclusion that affect the university, said the search firm. The individual will be charged with leading implementation of a strategic plan for diversity, equity and inclusion; reviewing progress made to date on strategic plan, developing and implementing subsequent phases to help the university achieve its goals to promote and enhance diversity; and advising and collaborating with the president, vice presidents, vice provosts, academic deans, chairs, directors, other senior leaders and leadership groups regarding the development and implementation of initiatives designed to support the university’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.
Candidates should have a terminal degree and a reputation for excellence as a teacher and a scholar with at least 10 years of experience, said Greenwood/Asher & Associates. Tenured applicants at the rank of full professor will be given greatest consideration. Experience at a high research university is strongly preferred.
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Successful candidates should have other experience to include: an excellent record of achievement in academic affairs; skills and experiences necessary to foster a welcoming, inclusive environment that makes it possible to attract, motivate and retain outstanding faculty, staff and students; well-developed communication, organization and management skills as well as effective interpersonal skills; and ability building and supporting a diverse, open and collaborative academic community.
Respected Recruiters
The University of Delaware, a state-assisted, privately governed institution, is a land-grant, seagrant and space-grant institution and the largest university in Delaware. It is located in Newark, with campuses in Dover, Wilmington, Lewes and Georgetown. The university is a Carnegie doctoral university – highest research activity, and in 2015, received the Carnegie community engagement classification. Chartered in 1833, the University of Delaware’s academic programs are delivered through eight colleges and four schools. The school has an enrollment of 24,120, including 21,698 full-time, 19,060 undergraduates, 4,164 graduate students and 896 professional and continuing studies students.
Greenwood / Asher & Associates is a women-owned executive search firm with a diverse consulting team and extensive experience in executive search, consulting and training for education markets including elementary, secondary, higher education, university systems, campuses and non-profit organizations including associations, service and cultural institutions. Greenwood / Asher recently led president searches for University of Florida and Ohio State, among others. The firm is led by president Jan Greenwood and partner Betty Turner Asher.
Dr. Greenwood is a pioneer in U.S. higher education, having been the first woman president of a public four-year and graduate institution in Virginia. She is a licensed psychologist with experience as a psychometrist and with post-doctoral training in group methods. She brings these skill-sets to her work with clients, candidates and search committees.
Ms. Frenche has worked in executive search since 1997, and has managed searches with three international executive search firms. She joined Greenwood/Asher & Associates as its first team member when the firm was founded in 2004. In her executive search career, Ms. Frenche has completed over 300 searches for executives in higher education, K-12, health care, academic medicine and information technology. These positions have been in public and private higher education institutions and system offices, K-12 schools and systems, academic health and health care organizations and nonprofits. She also has considerable search experience serving mission-driven organizations such as associations and foundations and in higher education board development.
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor; and Andrew W. Mitchell, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
