Camosun College Community Input Summary. President Search

Transcription

1 Camosun College Community Input Summary President Search

2 INPUT SESSIONS AND EMPLOYEE SURVEY KEY THEMES As part of the initial phase of the search process for Camosun s President, the Search Committee requested input from a variety of constituencies. The following methods were utilized: 1. An anonymous survey was distributed to all Camosun College employees by the College s Institutional Research and Planning Department. Key themes are incorporated below. 2. Eight Town Hall style meetings were conducted at Lansdowne (CCSS, CCFA, CUPE, and Excluded) and Interurban Campuses (CCSS, CCFA, BCGEU, and CUPE). Town hall meetings were facilitated by Davies Park Search Consultant, Tony Kirschner, and attended by members of the Search Committee. 3. Davies Park Search Consultant, Tony Kirschner, conducted one on one interviews with a variety of key stakeholders internal and external to Camosun College. 4. Further, general input has been solicited using the presidentsearch@daviespark.com suggestion box , which is linked to the Camosun President Search Website. Key themes were identified from the various forms of input and grouped accordingly: 1. Institutional Direction comments about where Camosun should go as a community college. 2. President s Qualities desired characteristics and leadership style of the new President. 3. Search Process questions and suggestions about the mechanics of the search process. In addition, key traits were identified by the community that is both reflective and consistent with common practice and knowledge about leaders today in large scale organizations. Institutional Direction General Camosun should stay on its general existing course a solid plan is in place and this is not the right time for a radical new direction or bold change of mission. The College, for the most part, functions well; the President should continue to focus on and improve operational excellence. o Fiscal realities dictate nature and pace of change o No mess to clean up or team to re build Areas for improvement: o Readiness for the diversifying student body (no longer just a sending institution ) o Infrastructure needs to be continually upgraded o Camosun needs flexibility around enabling leading edge technology adoption o Consistency of student experience needs to be improved o Not moving fast enough into online learning (the President needs to understand how technology is affecting/enabling pedagogy; should have a distributed learning vision) o There should be a centralized career centre that is visible and accessible o The President should address and lead through the discrepancy between co op credits/costs and (independent study) internships co op program is at risk Camosun College Page 1

3 Student Support/Perspectives International Student Aid ensure adequate services and supports are in place o Enhanced and increased tutorial programs o Social supports need to learn how to use Camosun s various services o There should be an international student centre at the Interurban campus Need support and increased access for all types students o 12% of student body is registered with the disability centre o Mental health is an increasingly intensifying issue o Disabilities are increasing but support services are not keeping pace Access around College affordability is also an important concern There is a noted tension between access and academic standards some students find the first year courses to be too remedial o Supports are needed for students who drain instructors time and attention Internationalization and Diversity Pay attention to the balance between expanding international enrollment with Camosun s long standing commitment to its South Island communities How does Camosun make internationalization (and diversity) function? need a strategy o Camosun has been a victim of its success; diversification and internationalization is causing systemic stress Camosun s (and the South Island s) large indigenous presence must be honoured and learned from; indigenous learning needs to be better integrated into Camosun s culture Community Relations President should forge strong community connections; engage regional business and generate industry ties Raise the Camosun s profile Be a strong advocate for College interests and mission with the Ministry What is Camosun s role in the community? o Facilities less frequently used by community groups seen as too expensive Camosun is seen as a revenue generating entity and not a community participant o Needs to be seen as a force for good in the community Board Relations President needs to have candid and honest Board conversations, including bad news Should effectively engage and leverage the Board Continue with the bi monthly Issues Sessions (widely appreciated) and more openness Need to be able to interact effectively with a more hands on Ministry of Advanced Education Actively engage and benefit from the Camosun College Foundation and PISE Camosun College Page 2

4 President s Qualities Commitment to the Community College Mission and Culture Camosun is a learning centred, comprehensive educational institution with an ethic of social justice and community mindedness o Is there authentic passion around the mission? o Is it demonstrated in his/her career? o Is there a commitment to compassion and social justice? o Is the candidate able to articulate an educational philosophy Understands what learning centred means and what ensuring student success entails (focus is on process not merely outcomes) Needs to know how to translate and communicate Camosun s mission to the Ministry Understands and respects the union environment o Is able to establish compromise and cooperation between factions Develops staff for progression, and is able to articulate development and retention plans Interpersonal Style Humble and friendly, but confident and comfortable in public Charismatic but not ego driven Open and respectful; appreciative and transparent (uses candor) trustworthy Reasonable and non hierarchical in approach Willing to challenge orthodoxy, but does not seek change for change s sake De formalizes communication plain spoken; doesn t use administrative jargon Caring and empowering kind Genuine/authentic (no ivory tower personae or academic elitism) o Selection should be based around accomplishments within the candidate s field, not solely credentials, hierarchical progression, and title achieved Interactions should be high quality as opposed to high volume Leadership Style Internally and operationally focused/present, in addition to the external duties Not a micro manager delegates and distributes responsibility Proactive and measured in approach; not reactive Shows a commitment to diversity, inclusion and community spirit Collaborates, doesn t merely consult create cross functional committees ( one team ) o But doesn t over consult seeks input, then makes a decision and moves forward Explains decisions; communicates opinions doesn t make decisions in a vacuum Creates a culture that tolerates risk taking (and the associated failures) Uses evidence based decision making; checks perception against reality Is accountable and creates a culture of accountability High level of EQ should be mature, grown up Camosun College Page 3

5 Campus Presence Manages by walking around, getting to know staff, and making informal visits o This presence needs to be sustained beyond the first six months of meet and greets Approachable and open Gets to know employees and students personally Previous strategic planning approach was inclusive, if a little drawn out and draining; should be replicated when a new strategic planning exercise is undertaken A teaching background, and even the ability to occasionally teach, would be desirable Search Process Community engagement will be gathered and used by the Board and Search Committee to inform the search process Results of the input sessions will be summarized and posted on the President Search website The process will be as transparent and inclusive as possible, while respecting candidate confidentiality Search Committee will provide regular updates/communication on the President Search website to keep the College community informed about the search progress Candidate site interviews will include participation with and feedback from Camosun s key employee and student groups Camosun College Page 4