The search continues to find a replacement for the current Vice President of Student Affairs Karen Rigg and three new candidates have been added to the selection process.
One candidate, William Zeller, the former University Housing Director at the University of Michigan, has remained from the four that were originally chosen.
The additional candidates, one of which met with the search committee on Monday, July 7 and the other two will meet with the group on July 14 and 15, were considered only after the search committee was unable to reach a unanimous decision on a sole candidate from the first group. Senior Vice President of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs Philomena Mantella then took the initiative to seek more candidates.
“[Mantella] needs everyone to be excited about the person and the candidate needs to be very excited about working here,” said Dirk Rodricks president of the Graduate Student Association.
Though time consuming, the student representatives on the committee said they applaud Mantella’s decision.
“I am very pleased with Philly’s leadership, it shows she is willing to wait,” Rodricks said. “She’s not rushing the process. It is too important and she knows that she needs the student approval and the staff and department heads’ approval.”
Zeller was on campus Monday meeting with students, Mantella and the chair of the search committee, Ronne Patrick, the dean of admissions. Mantella said Zeller’s visit gave students the ability to focus on issues they deemed important and for the candidate to become more familiar with Northeastern.
Mantella said Zeller offers a very thorough background in residential life, but added that one or two of the new candidates offer great breadth. The key for them and the search committee will be to gauge what their priorities are coming into the vice president position, if they are invited back to undergo the formal interviewing process, which Zeller has already completed.
The Student Government Association President Michael Romano acknowledged Zeller’s obvious strength in the area of residential life, but said that no matter who is chosen, the next VP has to improve the division of Student Affairs as well as bring the Northeastern Community together.
“This is a student-centered position. This is the heart,” Romano said. “There are overlooked areas that have not been discussed. A lot more has to be done [within Residential Life] to integrate Davenport A and B and 780 Columbus into the community. It is unacceptable that Northeastern students are living at a youth hostel.”
Mantella said that by the end of July the search should be narrowed and the appointment of a new VP should follow shortly after in August, but she has not ruled out the possibility of still having a vacant spot as late as September.
Rodricks sees the appointment coming later rather than sooner.
“August is not looking realistic right now. By September we may not have a VP.”
Romano said he can foresee one or two of the three candidates coming to campus for a formal interview and said that if that happens he is confident that the search committee will make sure the right questions are asked.
“[The search committee] has already made a commitment of doing what is right, no matter how long it takes.”
